Wildfire forces evacuation of villages on Paros island

A major wildfire continued to burn on the Greek island of Paros on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, forcing the evacuation of multiple villages and prompting warnings that strong winds could reignite the blaze and spread it further. The fire, which broke out near the Kampi area on Tuesday afternoon, has split into multiple fronts on the island's southern and southeastern side, threatening coastal areas.

Greek authorities have ordered evacuations for residents in at least nine communities as a precautionary measure. Areas cleared include Tripiti, Glyfa, Pyrgaki, Aspro Chorio, Ageria, Agios Charalambos, Kambi, Bougados, Aneratza, and Kamari. Officials reported that in some cases, emergency services had to forcibly remove residents who were reluctant to leave their homes, sometimes because they did not want to abandon their animals. Local reports indicated some residents were directed to beaches for safety.

Firefighting efforts involve 86 firefighters, specialized forest commando teams, five helicopters, and two water-bombing planes, with reinforcements of 20 additional firefighters arriving from the mainland. Despite these efforts, authorities warned that conditions were expected to...