Athens, 14 August 2026 (dpa/MIA) - A large wildfire on the western peninsula of Chalkidiki in northern Greece has been brought under control, the fire brigade said on Friday, with three firefighters slightly injured during the operation.

Several smaller hotspots and smouldering patches still need to be monitored and extinguished, a fire service spokesman said.

The fire broke out on Thursday afternoon near the holiday resort of Siviri on the Kassandra peninsula and spread rapidly through the densely wooded area.

Authorities used Greece's emergency alert system to order residents and holidaymakers to evacuate. The coastguard and private individuals brought numerous people to safety by boat from the coastal area that was at risk. A total of 481 people were evacuated by sea, authorities said.

Strong northerly winds with gusts of more than 100 kilometres per hour are currently affecting large parts of Greece. These conditions mean existing smouldering patches could reignite at any time and new fires could spread quickly.

Civil protection authorities warned that a very high to extreme wildfire risk remains in place for several regions.

Photo: epa