Two dead, hundreds evacuated as fires sweep Greek island near Athens

Two individuals died and over 570 people were evacuated from the Greek island of Salamis on Sunday following two separate fires that erupted within a half-hour span. The fires broke out near the Peristeria and Selinia beaches in the island's south and east, spreading rapidly due to winds reaching up to 61 kilometers per hour. Fire department officials reported that the blaze near Peristeria spread significantly in just seven minutes.

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two bodies were recovered

While a fire on the Aegean island of Skyros was brought under control, two bodies were recovered from the Peristeria beach area on Salamis. Nine people required medical attention for burns. The civil protection ministry issued multiple evacuation orders as hundreds of weekend beachgoers were hurried onto coast guard patrol boats and other vessels. Footage from Greek television showed several homes engulfed by flames.

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Over 570 people were evacuated on coast guard patrol boats and other vessels

Salamis, located west of Athens, is home to approximately 37,000 residents. The fires occurred as Europe faces a succession of wildfires exacerbated by drought and high temperatures, conditions scientists attribute to climate change. Firefighters deployed a substantial force, including 260 firefighters, nearly 60 engines, 10 aircraft, and seven helicopters, with reinforcements arriving from the mainland. The blaze in Selinia was extinguished by evening, though scattered fires persisted in Peristeria. On Skyros, a fire that started Saturday had burned an estimated 1,300 hectares of forest.

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two separate fires had broken out in Peristeria and near Selinia, two popular beaches in the island's south and east, within 20 minutes of each other.