ResolvedElevatedHalkidiki, Central Macedonia, Greece

Wildfire forces mass boat evacuation of tourists on the Halkidiki peninsula

The Halkidiki wildfire that forced a mass boat evacuation on 13 August was brought under control by 14 August: the Hellenic Fire Service reported no active fire front in the Siviri area, though numerous scattered hotspots remained. The fire burned around 350 hectares (3,500 stremmas) on the Kassandra peninsula and forced the evacuation of 481 residents and tourists, with damage to homes and infrastructure. 227 firefighters, 57 vehicles, 13 forest commando teams, six aircraft and one helicopter continued operating to prevent flare-ups. Central Macedonia, including Halkidiki, remained at Category 4 (Very High) fire risk through mid-August alongside much of Greece, but no new incident has been confirmed in the area since.

First reported August 14, 2026

Timeline

  1. August 16, 2026

    The Municipality of Kassandra confirmed that vehicle traffic has been fully restored on the Siviri-Fourka road, which had been temporarily closed for final safety work following the 13 August wildfire. No active fire front has been reported in the area since 14 August. This clears the last known access restriction for tourists in the Kassandra peninsula's affected coastal villages.

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  2. August 14, 2026

    The situation improved significantly: the Hellenic Fire Service reported no active fire front in the Siviri area, though numerous scattered hotspots remained. The wildfire that swept the Kassandra peninsula on 13 August burned around 350 hectares (3,500 stremmas) and forced the evacuation of 481 residents and tourists, causing damage to homes and infrastructure during the peak August travel period. 227 firefighters, 57 vehicles, 13 forest commando teams, six firefighting aircraft and one helicopter continued operating in the area to prevent flare-ups.

    Source

  3. August 14, 2026

    Central Macedonia, including the Halkidiki peninsula, remains rated Category 4 (Very High) wildfire risk for 14 August, as gale-force winds continue across Greece. No new active incident has been confirmed for Halkidiki since the 13 August fire was brought under control, but crews remain on alert for flare-ups given the ongoing wind conditions.

    Source

  4. August 13, 2026

    A fast-moving wildfire broke out near the resort villages of Siviri and Fourka on the Halkidiki peninsula, fanned by gale-force winds estimated around 100km/h. With primary roads cut off by flames, authorities launched a mass evacuation by sea, with Coast Guard vessels and a fleet of private fishing boats rescuing an estimated 300-500 tourists directly from the beaches. More than 200 firefighters, backed by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control; crews remained on alert for flare-ups.

    Source

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