Natural Disaster Alert – Wildfires in Attica and Wildfire Risk Around Greece
U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution in the affected areas, including Neo Kouvaras on Mount Panio, Lagonissi, Saronida and Anavyssos to Palaia Fokea beach in the southeastern suburbs of Athens. Civil Protection authorities are coordinating evacuations from the affected areas. Wildfires may create additional disruptions in the wider areas, such as power and/or water outages, poor air quality, and road closures, which may include some of the roads to the Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos.
The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has announced Very High Risk (Category 4 alarm) for many areas in Greece on July 17th, 2023 according to the Daily Fire Risk Map. This high risk of fire is expected to continue in the coming days, and currently includes the following regions:
- Region of Attica (including the island of Kythira)
- Region of Central Greece (PE Boeotia, PE Evia)
- Peloponnese Region (Corinthia Region, Argolis Region, Laconia Region)
- Region of Cyclades
- North Aegean Region (Lesvos Region, Chios Region, Samos Region, Ikaria Region)
- Region of Crete
U.S. citizens living in or traveling near any of the affected areas should follow instructions from local authorities and closely monitor the local media and emergency alerts. The following resources contain official information about the wildfires:
- Civil Protection Announcements
- Civil Protection Forest Fire Self-Protection Guidelines
- Daily Fire Prediction Map
- Hellenic Fire Service
Actions to Take:
- Follow all Greek government announcements and instructions.
- Register with Greece’s Emergency Communications Service for warning messages by SMS, e-mail, or voicemail if you don’t have a smart phone.
- Call the Fire Service call center at 199 to report a fire.
- Call the Emergency Communications Service at 112 for emergency assistance.
- Check with airlines or the Athens International Airport (+30-210-353-0000) if service or transportation routes may be affected.
- Carry identity and travel documents with you at all times.
- U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts.
U.S. citizens living in or traveling near any of the affected areas should follow instructions from local authorities and closely monitor the local media and emergency alerts.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Athens
+(30) 210-721-2951
AthensAmericanCitizenServices@state.gov
U.S. Consulate General Thessaloniki
+(30) 2310-376-300
State Department – Consular Affairs
(888) 407-4747 or (202) 501-4444
