The Greek coastguard and private boat owners launched emergency sea evacuations at dawn on Saturday after gale-force winds pushed a major wildfire to the coast of Boeotia and West Attica.
Flipped wind directions drove the main fire front into coastal holiday resorts, forcing flames down to the shoreline and cutting off primary escape roads. Initial reports confirm at least three homes sustained severe damage.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of the Hellenic Coastguard initiated a sea evacuation at Porto Germeno beach in Vilia shortly after 5:00 a.m. Coastguard patrol vessels, a fire service boat, and private vessels evacuated dozens of stranded residents and holidaymakers from the beach.
Emergency services maintained defensive positions throughout the night as the 112 emergency text system issued consecutive evacuation alerts. At 5:12 a.m., authorities ordered residents in Domvraina, Boeotia, to flee toward Thisvi.
The emergency text warned residents in the Domvraina area of Boeotia to move toward Thisvi immediately and follow orders from the authorities.
Earlier alerts ordered people in Prosili and Porto Germeno to evacuate toward Mandra, whilst residents in Mytikas were told to flee toward Psatha and Alepochori. High winds caused continuous flare-ups, forcing further evacuations in Xironomi, Agios Nikolaos, Aliki, and Agios Vasileios.
A separate large-scale sea rescue took place at Agios Vasileios, where flames reached the beach and damaged homes. With land access cut off by the fire, coastguard vessels, a fire service boat, a speed boat, and private vessels evacuated 254 people from the beach to safety.
Fire officials described the fronts in Boeotia—centered around Xironomi and Kalamaki—as the most challenging due to rough terrain and shifting gale-force winds. A force of 325 firefighters remains on the scene battling active fronts.
Simultaneously, a major fire continues to burn at Neratzies Aigialeias in Achaea. Overnight, authorities ordered evacuations for Neo Erineo and Arravonitsa due to the extreme speed of the front. Fire crews remain deployed in the area, and authorities have urged the public to follow safety instructions and avoid traveling near the active fire zones.
