Greece issues Red Code wildfire alert for multiple regions FAST-MOVING

wildfire risk Red Code alert extreme winds Civil Protection Greece

Greece is under a high-level wildfire alert as the General Secretariat of Civil Protection has issued a "Red Code" for multiple regions, including Attica, Crete, the Peloponnese, Boeotia, Phthiotis, Euboea, and various Aegean islands such as Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, and the Cyclades. The alert, categorized as a Level 4 risk, follows a session of the Risk Assessment Committee prompted by extreme weather conditions.

Strong northern winds are expected to persist through the middle of the week, with gusts potentially reaching 8 to 9 Beaufort, and local wind speeds in Crete recorded at up to 110 km/h. High temperatures are also expected, with some western regions potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

The state mechanism is in full mobilization, and authorities have issued strict warnings against activities that could trigger fires, such as burning vegetation, using spark-producing tools, or outdoor barbecues. In some areas, such as parts of Attica, municipal authorities have proactively closed parks and groves to the public.

Entities: Attica · Crete · Evangelos Tornaras · Evangelos Tournas · Fire Service · General Secretariat of Civil Protection · Greece · Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection · Municipality of Apokoronas · Nikos Papaefstathiou · Nikos Papaevstathiou

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 21 SOURCES] The General Secretariat of Civil Protection issued a Red Code alert due to very high fire risk. (General Secretariat of Civil Protection)
[● 16 SOURCES] The Red Code applies to the region of Crete. (The Red Code applies to the region of Crete.)
[● 21 SOURCES] The Red Code applies to Attica, including Kythira. (General Secretariat of Civil Protection)
[● 21 SOURCES] The Red Code applies to Boeotia, Phthiotis, and Euboea. (General Secretariat of Civil Protection)
[● 21 SOURCES] Red Code applies to Lesvos, Chios, Samos, and Ikaria in the North Aegean. (General Secretariat of Civil Protection)
[● 20 SOURCES] The Red Code applies to the regional units of Corinthia, Argolis, Arcadia, and Laconia. (Red Code applies to the regional units of Corinthia, Argolis, Arcadia, and Laconia.)
[● 22 SOURCES] The fire risk is categorized as very high (Category 4). (General Secretariat of Civil Protection)
[● 21 SOURCES] The Red Code applies to the Cyclades in the South Aegean. (General Secretariat of Civil Protection)
[● 5 SOURCES] Northern winds are expected to reach up to 9 Beaufort in certain areas. (Risk Assessment Committee)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Fire Service warned that a single wrong action could lead to disaster during the peak fire season. (Fire Service)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The BEYOND Operational Unit uses meteorological, environmental, and historical data to predict fire risk. (National Observatory of Athens)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Between 2014 and 2024, a total of 162 emergency declarations were issued due to forest fires. (Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection)