Wildfire Season in Greece Opens With 2,880 Fires Already Recorded

Greece’s wildfire season is off to a troubling start, with Western Attica emerging as the country’s most fire-prone zone and authorities warning that human activity is behind the overwhelming majority of incidents.

Of the approximately 2,880 fires recorded across Greece since the beginning of the year, 710 have broken out in Western Attica, the broader area encompassing Megara, Aspropyrgos and Elefsina, west of Athens. Local officials and the fire service have both raised the alarm.

In Aspropyrgos, a fire that broke out in a low-vegetation area was brought under control quickly, but early assessments indicated it started in a site littered with tires, waste and bulky discarded items. Aspropyrgos Mayor Giannis Ilias, speaking to public broadcaster ERTnews, described a recurring pattern of uncontrolled illegal dumping that has steadily changed the character of the area. “Every year we spend over one million euros cleaning up the area,” he said, adding that waste reappears despite repeated interventions. He called for stronger policing, noting that multiple arson incidents are being recorded in the area on a daily basis.