Μake us preferred on Google Two unidentified people were found dead Sunday as two wildfires erupted almost simultaneously on the Saronic Gulf island of Salamina, prompting multiple evacuation orders as strong winds hampered firefighting operations.
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The fire brigade’s operations center was alerted to the first blaze at 2:43 p.m. in the Peristeria area, where the fire spread rapidly within minutes. A second wildfire broke out around the same time in nearby Selinia. The two fronts threatened homes, with damage reported to residential properties.
The bodies were found by firefighting forces on the ground in the Peristeria site, on Andromachis Street near the suspected point of origin. Authorities were working to establish their identities as firefighting operations continued.
The firefighting force deployed to the near-Athens island included 192 firefighters, 10 wildfire-fighting teams and 48 vehicles, supported by six aircraft and eight helicopters, one of them a coordination helicopter. Water tankers from the Salamina municipality also joined the operation.
The deputy fire brigade spokesperson said the Peristeria front was the most difficult and that protecting residents and evacuating people from areas threatened by the flames were the immediate priorities. The mayor of Salamina said earlier that homes had been burned.
At least six emergency SMS messages were issued within about 40 minutes. The first, at 2:55 p.m., warned people in the wider fire area. Subsequent messages ordered residents and visitors in Peristeria, Aias Club, Kolones, DEH Chalioti and Perani to evacuate toward safer locations, including Aiantio and Saterli beach.
Firefighting boats and other vessels were deployed to evacuate people from the Saterli beach, including two fire brigade vessels, a speedboat and four coast guard vessels.
The Salamina fires came as firefighters were also battling wildfires elsewhere on Sunday.
A major blaze on the central Aegean island of Skyros, which began Saturday, remained active for a second day, with strong winds and difficult terrain complicating efforts.
A separate wildfire broke out in a rural and forest area near Kato Aprovatou on the north Cyclades island of Andros early Sunday, prompting a SMS warning and the deployment of 20 firefighters, five vehicles and a helicopter.
A wildfire in Solomos, Corinth prefecture, also disrupted highway traffic because of smoke, with 20 firefighters, four vehicles and three aircraft deployed.
The fires occurred as strong northerly winds of up to 7 Beaufort were forecast across the Aegean, with parts of the country under very high fire danger.
