Wildfire forces evacuation of two settlements in Rhodope
Western Thrace
Thu, 13 Aug 2026 9:11 GMT
A wildfire in the village of İmaret, around 30 kilometers from Gümülcine, prompted the precautionary evacuation of two settlements in Greece’s Rhodope region on Wednesday, August 12.
The fire broke out in an area covered by dry grass and low vegetation in İmaret. Strong winds contributed to the spread of the flames, prompting authorities to evacuate two nearby settlements as a precaution.
Firefighters tackled the blaze from both the ground and the air. Numerous fire crews were deployed to the area, supported by three firefighting aircraft and a helicopter.
The fire came as Greece’s Civil Protection authorities had placed parts of the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region under a Category 4, “very high” wildfire risk warning for Tuesday and Wednesday. Rhodope was among the areas classified as facing very high fire danger.
