Fire tragedy in Derven near Thessaloniki: father and son lose their lives, wife injured

A massive fire that broke out this afternoon in the Derven area, near Thessaloniki, caused the death of one person and the injury of a woman.

The blaze started at around 14:30 in an area of scrubland and, because of strong winds and high temperatures, quickly spread toward the forest.

The flames approached the village of Liti, prompting the authorities to order the evacuation of residents.

Because of the danger, the 112 emergency system sent two warning messages, which among other things urged residents of the village of Liti to leave immediately for the local stadium and follow the authorities’ instructions.

According to the Fire Service, the victim is a man whose body was discovered in the forested area between Derven and the village of Liti.

A short time later, firefighters found the body of a 50-year-old man who had died in the flames. As the search continued, the authorities discovered another body, believed to be that of the victim’s 12-year-old son.

The 50-year-old man’s wife, who according to reports was trying to put out the fire near her home, suffered burns to her body and hands. She was rescued by firefighters and then taken by ambulance to hospital.

By evening, ten firefighting planes and three helicopters had been deployed in the aerial operation to tackle the large fire that broke out on Tuesday afternoon in Derven, near Thessaloniki.

In addition to the aircraft, more than 110 firefighters, three special forest firefighting teams and 36 fire engines are involved on the ground.

Police forces and emergency services are also in the area, while firefighters continue their efforts to bring the flames under control and protect residential areas.

Throughout the afternoon, Canadair planes could be seen in the sky over Thessaloniki, heading in from the sea after refilling with water and then returning to the area where the fire remains out of control.

The fire service said that dozens of fire outbreaks have been reported in different parts of the country over the past 72 hours.