Eight years after the deadly wildfire that devastated Mati, a coastal area east of Athens, survivors and families of the victims continue to remember the lives lost and call for accountability.

The wildfire of July 23, 2018, became one of Greece’s worst disasters, leaving 104 people dead, dozens seriously injured and a total of 177 victims and burn survivors affected by the tragedy.

Athanassios Gantonas, stands inside his burnt house following a wildfire in the village of Mati, near Athens, Greece, July 27, 2018. REUTERS/Costas Baltas

Memorial events marking the anniversary are taking place at the locations where the disaster unfolded, organized by the Association of Relatives of the Deceased and Burn Victims together with the Municipality of Marathon.

“The memory is not only an act of honor, but also a constant reminder of the value of every human life,” the association said in a statement, stressing that the legacy of the victims is the responsibility to ensure that such a tragedy is never repeated.

“Eight years have passed, but it feels like eight minutes”

For many survivors, the passage of time has not eased the trauma.

Kalli Anagnostou, president of the Association of Relatives of the Deceased and Burn Victims, recalled how what began as a family holiday with her 5-and-a-half-year-old son turned into a nightmare.

“The fire entered the house. We made the extreme decision to go outside. We went out and we were burned there, on the road,” she said, describing the flames as a “tsunami.”

People are seen as a wildfire burns in Mati, Greece July 23, 2018 in this picture obtained from social media on July 24, 2018. KALOGERIKOS NIKOS/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

“Eight years have passed and it feels like eight minutes,” she said, adding that the effects of the disaster continue to shape her daily life.

“My body no longer obeys me; my body controls me,” she said, explaining that she still struggles with the physical and psychological consequences of the fire. She also described how the disaster erased many of her son’s memories of his life before the tragedy.

FILE PHOTO: A local walks on a burnt slope following a wildfire at the village of Mati, near Athens, Greece, July 24, 2018. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo

Survivors recall fleeing through flames and the sea

Another survivor, Ioanna Gatopoulou, described the chaotic moments when residents sought safety in the sea as flames approached their homes.

She recalled that the weather initially did not appear threatening, until strong winds suddenly changed the situation. As the fire spread rapidly, roads became blocked with vehicles and residents were forced to escape toward the coast.

“We entered the sea and swam for a very long time because the fire reached the shoreline,” she said, adding that private citizens rescued her and others with an inflatable boat.

Gatopoulou said she spent two months in hospital after suffering burns and learned about the death toll while receiving treatment.

“The physical injuries will not disappear, and for the psychological burden I needed medication,” she said, adding that she followed the court proceedings and believes not everyone who should have been held responsible was convicted.

Memorial events honor victims

The anniversary commemorations include memorial services at churches in Mati, Neos Voutzas and the surrounding area.

The main ceremony will take place at the Monument of the Victims at the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Neos Voutzas, followed by a roll call of those who died.

Participants will then walk along the route known as the “road of fire” toward Mati, where the central memorial event will be held. The day will conclude with a silent march from Poseidonos Avenue to Argyrá Aktí, one of the locations most closely associated with the tragedy.

The fire that changed Mati forever

The disaster began on July 23, 2018, when a wildfire broke out in the area of Daou Penteli at 4:41 p.m. Strong winds reaching up to 12 Beaufort (124 km/h) and temperatures of 39°C helped the flames reach the sea within approximately one and a half hours.

The lack of an evacuation plan, the absence of an early warning system and traffic congestion on the narrow roads left many residents trapped.

Twenty-six people were found dead at the site known as Argyrá Aktí, while others lost their lives at sea or after falling from cliffs as they attempted to escape.

Families continue their fight for justice

The legal process following the disaster has been long and painful for the victims’ families.

After a first-instance ruling in April 2024 that sparked anger among relatives because of the nature of the sentences imposed, the case was returned to the appeals process following intervention by prosecutors.

Eight years later, the families’ demands remain unchanged: justice, accountability and guarantees that no community will experience a similar tragedy again.