A state of emergency has been declared on the Greek island of Chios, where five separate wildfires have broken out and are being intensified by strong winds. The fires, burning across multiple fronts, have prompted the evacuation of 17 communities and sparked a criminal investigation into their cause.
Three forest fires ignited on Sunday in the areas of Kofinas, Agia Anna, and Agios Makarios. A fourth blaze erupted after midnight in Agios Markos, followed by a fifth fire on Monday morning in Agiasmata, raising concerns over the near-simultaneous outbreak of multiple fronts.
Authorities have launched an arson probe amid growing suspicions that the fires may have been deliberately set. Greece’s Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis visited the island and expressed concern, calling the situation “troubling” and urging a thorough investigation into the fires’ origins.
“We are worried by the appearance of so many fires across different parts of the island without an obvious cause,” Kefalogiannis said after an emergency meeting.
Damage and Response Efforts
The wildfires have already scorched homes, farmland, and infrastructure, with local media reporting several houses and at least one distillery destroyed. Residents have reported being unable to return home or assess the extent of damage to their properties.
Images from the island show dramatic scenes of locals joining firefighting efforts—throwing buckets of water, using clothing to smother flames, and working alongside exhausted emergency crews.
Around 190 firefighters are currently battling the blazes with the help of 11 aircraft and helicopters, officials said. Another 90 firefighters are being deployed from Athens and Thessaloniki to bolster local forces.
Impact on Services
The fires have damaged parts of the local power grid, leading to outages in the Vrontados region. Teams from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network (HEDNO) have been dispatched from nearby Lesvos to assist with emergency repairs. Authorities have also implemented planned power cuts to prioritize electricity for firefighting operations.
Issues with water supply and damage to broader infrastructure have also been reported in several areas.
Weather Conditions and Risks
Although temperatures on Chios are currently hovering around 30°C, forecasters warn of rising heat later in the week, increasing the risk of flare-ups and additional fire outbreaks. The current blaze marks Greece’s first major wildfire of the summer, a country often gripped by destructive fires and extreme heatwaves in recent years.
Chios last experienced a catastrophic fire in 2012, when flames devastated over half the island’s valuable mastic trees — which produce a resin used globally in cooking, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. That fire severely disrupted the supply of the prized “tears of Chios.”
As emergency crews continue to battle the flames, a team from the national Arson Investigation Unit is working alongside local police to determine what — or who — may have sparked the fires that have thrown the island into crisis once again.
