Ioannina earthquake shakes Greek region as dozens of forest fires rage FAST-MOVING
A magnitude‑4.5 earthquake struck near Ioannina on the night of 28 July 2026. The Geodynamic Institute located the epicenter about 9 km west‑northwest of the Aspraggeli hills, at a depth of roughly 5 km. The tremor was strongly felt in the city of Ioannina, the Zagori area, the wider Epirus region, and was also reported in parts of Albania.
At the same time, Greece battled a wave of agro‑forest fires. Official reports recorded 25 separate fires over the past 24 hours, of which 22 were brought under initial control. Three fronts remained active, including a blaze in Aspropyrgos (Attica) that was partially contained within 20 minutes after 22 firefighters, eight vehicles and a helicopter were deployed. Other incidents were reported on the islands of Evia (Stavros area) and on the island of Euboea’s Stavros region, with firefighting teams from various municipalities and aerial assets engaged. Authorities have launched investigations into the causes of the fires and continue to urge residents to exercise caution.
Entities: 20th EMODE · Aspropyrgos · Dirfyo‑Messapios municipality · Euboea (Evia) · Evia · Geodynamic Institute of Greece · Greek Fire Service · Ioannina · Διεύθυνση Αντιμετώπισης Εγκρημάτων Εμπρησμού (Fire Crime Investigation Unit)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fire was placed under control. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Twenty‑three agricultural‑forest fires were reported nationwide in the last 24 hours, with 21 quickly handled and two still active. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] 42 firefighters were mobilised, including two foot squads from the 20th EMODE, volunteers, ten fire vehicles, two aircraft and one helicopter. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Authorities urged citizens to be careful and follow official safety instructions. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Local municipal water tankers assisted the firefighting effort. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A fire broke out in an agricultural‑forest area in the Staurós region of Dirfyo‑Messapios municipality, Euboea, around 18:20 on 27 July 2024. (All three articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Fire Crime Investigation Unit (Δ.Α.Ε.Ε.) was activated to investigate the cause of the fire. (All three articles)