Wildfire evacuation warning issued in Greece after father and son die in separate blaze

Greek authorities urged residents of two villages in central Greece to evacuate Wednesday as firefighters battled a wildfire in Fthiotida, in the latest sign of a difficult summer fire season.

The fire department said the blaze was burning through forest and agricultural land. More than 135 firefighters were deployed, backed by 25 aircraft, including 19 water-dropping planes and six helicopters.

The evacuation warning came a day after a separate wildfire near Thessaloniki killed a father and his 12-year-old son and left the boy’s mother in hospital with burns.

Active fire in Fthiotida

Authorities told residents of two villages to move to safety as crews worked to contain the central Greece fire. The response included volunteer firefighters and special forest fire units.

Officials have not yet said what started the blaze. They also had not reported a wider expansion of the evacuation warning as of the latest update.

Deadly blaze near Thessaloniki

The fatal fire near Thessaloniki was reported on Tuesday. The father was found dead outside the property, while the boy’s body was found inside a burned home, according to the fire service.

The mother was being treated for burns in a hospital.

At least three other fires broke out across Greece on Wednesday, in Halkidiki, on Salamina and in southern Greece. Officials said those fires were quickly contained.

Greece sees frequent wildfires in the summer, and the country has increasingly used technology to monitor fire risk. The AP report also noted that Greece has so far been spared the heatwaves affecting much of western Europe.

Officials were continuing to watch the Fthiotida fire for signs of further spread, while investigators have not yet said whether the Thessaloniki blaze was accidental or suspicious.