Dead man found as wildfire forces evacuation of Liti village, Thessaloniki

A large forest fire broke out on 30 June 2026 near the settlement of Derbeni in the Oraiokastro municipality of Thessaloniki. Strong winds quickly spread the blaze from low vegetation into a wooded area, threatening the nearby community of Liti. Residents received two emergency alerts via the 112 system – the first at 15:40 warning of the fire, the second at 16:40 ordering evacuation to the village sports field.

Firefighters deployed up to 115 personnel, several ground teams, dozens of vehicles and volunteer units, and aerial support consisting of ten to twenty aircraft and three helicopters. During the operation a previously unknown adult male corpse was discovered in the burned forest, and a woman suffered second‑degree burns while trying to contain the fire. She was rescued, taken to the Hippocrates Hospital in Thessaloniki and is in stable condition. Authorities continue to monitor the fire, which is classified as a high‑risk (category 3) incident, while wind speeds have eased to around 3 – 7 bft.

The Derbeni blaze is one of dozens of agri‑forest fires reported across Greece in the same 24‑hour period, but it remains the most serious incident in the Thessaloniki region, prompting the largest local emergency response.