Raging Wildfires - Greece Beaches
The screenshot shows massive wildfire in the Halkidiki region in northern Greece that prompted hundreds of beachgoers to flee resorts in the peninsula Screenshot from Doca Stella’s Footage via Weather Monitor’s X Account

Hundreds of tourists were evacuated via a fleet of small boats from various beaches in northern Greece Thursday afternoon, 13 August. It wasn't just chaos on the ground and at sea as water-bombing planes and helicopters also tried to control the fire from above to prevent the spread of fire across the Halkidiki peninsula.

Even with 150 firefighters and some air support, the wildfires could not be stopped as they raged over homes in the popular resorts of Siviri and Fourka. Locals and tourists flocked to the beaches as Europe continues to bake during the summer. Many of those rescued were in their swimming attire.

Around 500 People Rescued

Rescues could only be done by sea for fear that the wildfires would spread through the resort infrastructure. In the case of Siviri and Fourka, the areas were lined with flammable pine trees. Many of those rescued had children of all ages, with school being out for the summer.

The blaze was eventually placed under control, but firefighting crews remained on standby. Two firefighters were brought to the hospital for injuries, according to the local fire service. According to Greece's civil protection agency, they sent evacuation warnings via phone to the resorts.

Some of the rescued people were housed on neighbouring beaches that were not under threat from the wildfires. Half of those rescued boarded a nearby ship. Residents of Fourka and Siviri were stuck in traffic as they tried to flee the area.

Documented Escape

Escaping tourists whipped out their phones to record the wildfires on board their rescue vessels. According to ERT, Greece's state-owned public radio and television broadcasting network, the wildfire stretched about three kilometers (1.8 miles) and created a wall of flames about 30 metres (100 feet) high.

@stillrendered

Location: Siviri, Halkidiki, Greece Date: August 13, 2026 A massive, fast-moving wildfire broke out near the popular summer resort villages of Siviri and Fourka on the Halkidiki peninsula. Fanned by powerful gale-force winds, the fire front quickly expanded through highly flammable pine forests toward coastal residential areas and packed holiday beaches. With primary roadway routes cut off by the flames, authorities launched emergency evacuations by both land and sea, utilizing coast guard vessels and a fleet of private fishing boats to safely rescue more than 300 tourists directly from the water's edge.

♬ original sound - stillrendered - stillrendered

Some tourists were able to record the wildfires while still at the resort, showing people walking to the shores awaiting the rescue boats. A homeowner in the area shared: 'We are on the beach and looking for a way to get away. From where we are, we can see that flames have reached the town and the houses.'

It took several hours before the firefighters could control the wildfires, citing strong winds as the cause for difficulty. Wind was estimated to be around 100 kilometers (60 miles) an hour. Officials had to issue five alerts on the mainland for the forest fires.

@greek.plateia

A large wildfire broke out in Siviri in Greece’s northern Chalkidiki region, prompting an evacuation order via a 112 alert. Houses have been burned and the fire is spreading rapidly. Over 150 fire fighters including help from Moldovan fire fighters is currently underway. Best to check on family & friends and stay safe if you’re in the area! #halkidiki #chalkidiki

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500 Wildfires and Counting

Greece has recorded more than 500 wildfires this month alone. Before the wildfires broke out, Fire Service Brigadier General Vassilios Vathrakogiannis, Director of Strategic Planning and Communications at the Fire Service Headquarters, provided an emergency briefing from the National Coordination Centre for Operations and Crisis Management in Marousi.

The fire service is bracing for more forest fires because of the 'extremely difficult weather conditions.' Some 40 agricultural forest fires were recorded across the nation on Thursday. Unfortunately, wildfires are an annual occurrence in Greece, usually peaking in July and August.

Close to 2,700 forest fires have been recorded since the start of wildfire season this year. Experts are blaming human-made climate change. It is exacerbated this year by the historic European heatwave.

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