Firefighters discovered a body in a forest area on Tuesday as they battled a wildfire near Thessaloniki in northern Greece, the country’s second largest city. The identity of the deceased and the circumstances of the death were not immediately known.
The remains were found within the burning zone at Derveni, in the municipality of Oraiokastro, near the edge of the village of Liti. The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. and spread from low vegetation into a forest area. Authorities released no further details about the man.
Firefighters also rescued a woman with burns from outside a home, moving her to safety before she was handed over to an ambulance from the national emergency medical service. Medical crews and police were deployed around the entire perimeter of the fire.
The blaze began in farmland, burning grain crops and dry grass between Oraiokastro and Liti, and quickly stretched fire service resources. Strong winds, visible for miles in plumes of smoke, are hampering the effort to contain it. The region is under a Category 3 high fire risk on Tuesday.
At 3:50 p.m., authorities sent the first emergency alert through 112, the European emergency number, urging residents to stay on alert and follow official instructions. A second message followed, ordering the evacuation of the village of Liti and directing residents toward the local soccer field.
⚠️ Activation 1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣
‼️ If you are in the area of the #community_Liti, move away to soccer field of #Liti
‼️ Follow the instructions of the Authorities
ℹ️ https://t.co/epZaj71grH@pyrosvestiki@hellenicpolice
— 112 Greece (@112Greece) June 30, 2026
⚠️ Activation 1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣
🆘 Wildfire in the area of #Derveni of the regional unit of #Thessaloniki
‼️ Stay alert and follow the instructions of the Authorities
ℹ️ https://t.co/S63M24Fq0V@pyrosvestiki@hellenicpolice
— 112 Greece (@112Greece) June 30, 2026
Firefighting forces were reinforced through the afternoon. As of the latest update, 115 firefighters were operating at the scene, including three units of forest firefighting commandos, along with 36 vehicles and volunteers. Ten aircraft and three helicopters were assigned to the aerial effort, operating in rotation.
Throughout the operation, Greece’s national emergency coordination center is maintaining a continuous feed from a drone equipped with optical and thermal cameras, according to the fire service.
This is a developing story.
