The fire fronts on Chios remain uncontrollable after more than 30 hours, with houses burned and at least 17 villages evacuated following alerts from the 112 emergency service. The island was officially declared in a state of emergency on Monday afternoon (June 23, 2025), lasting for one month. Strong firefighting forces are deployed with ground and aerial means, along with many volunteers making tremendous efforts to extinguish the fires that have spread across five fronts.
Reinforcements are continuously arriving from Athens and Peloponnese. The Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Giannis Kefalogiannis, visited Chios and convened an emergency meeting of the Civil Protection Coordination Body due to the alarming situation caused by the wildfire.
During the meeting, the minister stated, “We are dealing with simultaneous fires in multiple disconnected locations—a pattern that cannot be considered random. The State is seriously examining the possibility of organized criminal activity, i.e., arson.” Additional reinforcements include 190 firefighters with 11 units of E.M.O.D.E. and 38 vehicles already on the island, plus further arrivals via air and sea.
Ground and aerial operations continue with four airplanes and 13 helicopters combating the flames. Water carriers and machinery from the Greek Army and Local Government support the firefighting efforts. SEAJETS has also provided two ships free of charge to transport additional firefighting teams and equipment.
Five active fronts persist on the island, including newly ignited spots near Agios Markos and Agiasmata. Evacuation messages from 112 have been sent to residents around affected areas, urging them to move towards the city of Chios. Hotels and guesthouses have opened their doors to displaced residents.
Power outages occurred due to extensive damage to the electricity network, but gradual restoration began midday Tuesday. Collection of bottled water is underway to support the tireless efforts of firefighters and volunteers battling under challenging conditions.
An investigation team from the Arson Crime Response Directorate (D.A.E.E.) is working with State Security on Chios to determine the causes of the fires. Multiple ignition points and their geographic dispersion raise suspicions of human intervention, though no official findings or arrests have been announced yet.