Chios Fire Rages On: A Battle Against Scattered Flames and Strong Winds

It has been three days, and the fire on Chios still burns fiercely. The island is now shrouded in darkness, with a suffocating atmosphere, and smoke, ash, and debris visible everywhere. Firefighters are battling scattered flames across difficult terrain since early Tuesday (24.06.2025). One front extends from Agios Georgios Sykousis toward Armolia, passing near Kampi through mastic tree plantations and burning both forested and grassy areas. Efforts focus on preventing the fire from reaching the cemetery of Agios Georgios and spreading into the Sklavias forest. Meanwhile, another front between Zifiá and Dafnona appears under control but remains active. Smaller, dispersed fronts persist between Lithí and Vessa. Approximately 20 settlements have been evacuated due to continuous alerts from emergency services, aiming to avoid casualties. Over 444 firefighters, supported by 21 forest firefighting teams (EMODE), 85 vehicles, 30 volunteers with four volunteer vehicles, 13 helicopters, and four aircraft continue relentless water drops. Despite these efforts, strong winds complicate operations. So far, 62,000 acres have burned across Chios, destroying pristine forests, businesses, homes, crops, and DEH power lines. Authorities face extensive repairs as infrastructure for electricity and water supply has been severely damaged. Concerns grow over arson suspicions as multiple fires erupted simultaneously. Local officials emphasize the need for better data collection to learn from past incidents and improve preparedness.