A large wildfire broke out around midday Sunday in western Attica, prompting a major firefighting response, an emergency alert to residents and disruptions to road and rail traffic west of Athens, as crews raced to stop the flames from reaching homes.
The fire started at a spot known as Sfaka, in the municipality of Mandra-Eidyllia near Oinoi, in the Western Attica regional unit.
The fire service said 155 firefighters were operating in the area, supported by six ground crews from a specialized forest-operations unit, the 1st EMODE, along with volunteers and two mobile operations centers, including one dedicated to drone flights. The ground effort was backed by 39 vehicles, 16 aircraft and six helicopters, one of which was coordinating the others. Planes and helicopters carried out repeated water drops over the least accessible stretches of the fire front. Water tankers and heavy machinery from the Attica regional government, local municipalities and other agencies were also assisting.
Firefighters were working in difficult conditions, with wind and high temperatures fanning the flames. Civil Protection had classified Sunday as a day of very high fire risk, category 4, for Attica on its daily hazard map.
At 4:22 p.m., authorities issued an alert through 112, the emergency number used in Greece to warn the public during crises. The message told residents of the Oinoi area to stay alert and follow instructions from the authorities. Crews remained fully deployed, the fire service said, aiming to halt the fire’s advance before it reached populated areas or grew larger.
⚠️ Activation 1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣
🆘 Wildfire in the area of #Oinoi of the regional unit of #Western_Attica
‼️ Stay alert and follow the instructions of the Authorities
ℹ️ https://t.co/GY26GrlKvl@pyrosvestiki @hellenicpolice
— 112 Greece (@112Greece) July 5, 2026
Police imposed traffic restrictions around Mandra, suspending vehicle traffic at three points:
- The old national road linking Athens and Thebes, at its junction with the Oinoi–Porto Germeno ring road, in the direction of Elefsina.
- The same road near the Linardos taverna, in the direction of Vilia.
- The Mandra roundabout, in the direction of Thebes.
The fire also affected the Athens suburban railway, the Proastiakos. On orders from the fire service and OSE, the national rail infrastructure manager, rail traffic was suspended from 2:30 p.m. on the Aspropyrgos–Ano Liosia section, operator Hellenic Train said. Power to the line between Loutropyrgos and Ano Liosia was cut from 3:12 p.m. because of the fire burning nearby.
Hellenic Train said service 1317 from Kiato to Piraeus was being held at Nea Peramos station, while services 1319 and 1321, also running from Kiato to Piraeus, were stopped at Corinth and Kiato stations. Passengers faced delays, schedule changes and bus replacements on parts of the route, the company said, adding that it was in constant contact with OSE and the authorities to restore service.
