Major Fire on Paros: Villages Evacuated, Residents Flee to the Beaches

Residents were urged to head to the beaches. There were initially no reports of possible injuries or burned-down houses.

Firefighting Aircraft Pause Overnight

Flights by firefighting planes and helicopters were interrupted overnight but were set to resume at dawn. This meant that precisely during the hours when the fire was gaining ground through dry vegetation, the most important aerial firefighting support was unavailable.

Support for the operation came from the neighboring islands of Naxos and Syros as well as from the Greek mainland. This support came from neighboring islands such as Naxos and Syros as well as from the mainland. The fire service on Paros had requested additional forces because its own resources were insufficient.

Support from Neighboring Islands and the Mainland

The Greek fire service was also deployed to fire outbreaks in the northeastern region of Evros on Tuesday, according to the newspaper "Kathimerini." The fire service was also deployed to fire outbreaks in the northeastern region of Evros on Tuesday. As a result, the country's already scarce resources had to be deployed on multiple fronts simultaneously.

According to the newspaper "Kathimerini," there is a high forest fire risk in several parts of the country. For Crete and the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria, and Psara, alert level 4 out of 5 is in effect; for the Athens region and the northeastern Peloponnese peninsula, level 3 out of 5.

High Forest Fire Warnings in Several Regions

So far this year, Greece has largely been spared from heatwaves. Nevertheless, soils and vegetation in the affected regions had heated up to such an extent that individual fires could rapidly develop into major blazes. Meteorologists expect increasing winds, which would favor further spread.

The situation has improved significantly, a spokesperson said. However, this statement referred to the situation as of late Tuesday evening; given the announced increase in winds and the overnight pause in aerial support, the situation remained tense.

Expansion of Firefighting Capacity in Greece

Following devastating fires in recent years, Greece had significantly expanded its capacities. However, following devastating fires in previous years, the number of firefighting aircraft and emergency personnel was significantly increased. According to the article, the Greek state has 85 firefighting aircraft of its own; the fire service now numbers 18,000 professional and seasonal personnel.

In addition, four satellites specifically developed for firefighting have been launched into space to monitor particularly dry regions. Furthermore, four satellites specifically developed for firefighting have been launched into space to monitor particularly dry regions. These satellites are intended to make critical regions identifiable earlier and thus enable faster alerts.

Additionally, according to the article, more than 100 drone bases are in operation in regions of Greece particularly at risk of fire, in order to detect fires at an early stage. More than 100 drone bases have been stationed in particularly fire-prone regions.

Paros as a Tourist Destination in the Fire Zone

The island of Paros is one of the most popular destinations in the Cycladic archipelago and is heavily frequented during the summer months. Even though no official figures were available regarding affected tourists or damage to holiday accommodations, the evacuation pointed to a serious threat situation.

This report was broadcast on 29.07.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. The authorities called on residents and holidaymakers alike to follow the instructions of the emergency services and to avoid the affected areas.

Overall, the operation on Paros illustrates how vulnerable Mediterranean tourist regions remain to extreme weather events — even in years when the overall heat load is more moderate.