Wildfire spreads on Skyros island; aircraft, helicopters and 100 firefighters combat blaze

A fast-moving wildfire on the Aegean island of Skyros has required a multi-pronged response from Greek authorities, with nearly a dozen firefighting aircraft and helicopters supporting about 100 firefighters on the ground while local officials ordered evacuations of two small settlements.

Strong winds eased at dawn, allowing air units to rejoin the fight

Skyros mayor Kyriakos Antonopoulos told state broadcaster ERT he was hopeful the blaze would be extinguished within the day: "I believe that during the day the fire will be completely extinguished." Authorities said no populated area was under threat on the second day of operations.

Additional crews were sent to the mountainous island — home to roughly 3,000 residents — to reinforce local teams. "We must act quickly to bring the fire under control as soon as possible. The special firefighting units, with machinery and excavators, are trying to break a path through difficult terrain. We hope the situation will improve during the day," said Kostas Tsigas, head of the association of firefighting officers.

Aircraft were able to resume water-dropping missions after strong overnight winds eased at first light. A fire-service spokesperson said almost a dozen planes and helicopters were assisting about 100 firefighters on Skyros.

Smoke plumes driven by wind were visible over Athens on Saturday evening and again around midday Sunday, according to journalists at the island's local airport. Skyros sits about 110 kilometres northeast of Athens and covers approximately 209 square kilometres as part of the Sporades archipelago.

Across Greece, the fire service reported 34 separate outbreaks in the previous 24 hours. Six large fires were still active in the country, one of which was under control, while five firefighters have so far died this season — including a Danish pilot who was killed in a mid-air collision between two Bell helicopters during firefighting operations near Athens earlier this month.

Officials said Greece has faced several major blazes since late July, fuelled by unusually strong winds and exacerbated by the summer heat. About 20,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land have burned this year near Athens, on Crete and on Paros. The Ministry for Civil Protection reported that, for the first time in ten days, no area remained above level three on the five-step national fire-danger index. Experts warn that human-driven climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of such extreme fire conditions.

Photo: ilustracija / Iks / World News / printskrin