Melike Pala
06 August 2026•Update: 06 August 2026
Firefighters battled wildfires in central and western Greece on Thursday as strong winds complicated containment efforts, while the country's main opposition party criticized the government's handling of wildfire prevention and firefighting resources.
One of the fires broke out near Kolymbada Beach in the southern part of the island of Skyros, burning low vegetation in an agroforestry area, according to the Enikos newspaper.
According to local authorities, eight firefighters with four fire engines were deployed to the scene, supported by four firefighting aircraft conducting water drops.
Water tankers and construction machinery from local authorities also joined the operation.
Strong winds hampered firefighting efforts.
In a separate incident, a wildfire erupted in an agroforestry area near Agia Marina in the western regional unit of Ilia, according to the Kathimerini newspaper.
The Greek Fire Service deployed 42 firefighters, including two specialized forest firefighting teams, backed by 13 fire engines.
Three firefighting aircraft carried out aerial water drops while local government water tankers and heavy machinery assisted ground crews.
As firefighting operations continued, Nikos Pappas, secretary of the Central Committee of the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, accused the government of failing to adequately prepare for this year's wildfire season.
In an interview with Greece's public broadcaster ERT, Pappas said European funding intended to strengthen Greece's firefighting capabilities had not been fully utilized, alleging that planned purchases of firefighting aircraft, drones and helicopters were abandoned.
He also questioned government spending on forest-clearing projects, calling for greater transparency over wildfire prevention measures and the use of public funds.
Pappas further criticized the government's reliance on leased firefighting aircraft and claimed that some firefighting equipment remains unused despite the availability of trained personnel.
