Greece: Megafire in Athens metropolitan area burns over 10,000 hectares, destroys 100+ homes

Published Aug 2, 02:27 PM UTC

A massive wildfire broke out on August 2, 2026, in South Boeotia, Greece, and rapidly spread toward the town of Megara and western Attica, threatening the region's industrial heartland including chemical plants and oil refineries. The fire, classified as a megafire, has burned over 10,000 hectares, destroyed more than 100 homes in Porto Germeno, and caused a mid-air collision between two helicopters, one of which crashed. Strong northerly winds hampered aerial firefighting efforts, grounding ten planes. Greek authorities arrested two men for arson linked to electrical oscillations in a private transmission network. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged the limits of human planning against extreme weather, while critics accused his government of over-relying on expensive aerial firefighting that fails in strong winds. Additional fires are burning on the island of Kefalonia. Since 2021, over 417,000 hectares have burned in Greece.

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