A massive wildfire burning through Boeotia and into Western Attica reached Porto Germeno on Saturday, destroying homes a...

A massive wildfire burning through Boeotia and into Western Attica reached Porto Germeno on Saturday, destroying homes and forcing residents to be evacuated directly from the beach. Greece's fire service has declared a Category 5 danger alert, the highest possible level, with fires simultaneously active across multiple regions from Epirus to Crete. The Porto Germeno fire is burning on three separate fronts after repeated flare-ups, according to fire service spokesperson Giannis Artopoios, who described this as an exceptionally difficult day. Nine Canadair aircraft and four helicopters are conducting continuous water drops on the fire's flanks and head, but dense smoke is limiting pilot visibility and wind gusts are driving the flames faster than crews can contain them. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the Civil Protection Operations Coordination Center Saturday morning to be briefed on the situation, with particular focus on the dangerous fronts at Agios Vasilis and Xironomi. He expressed full confidence in firefighting forces, acknowledging they are operating under extreme conditions that are frequently grounding aerial assets. Residents of Livadostra received emergency 112 alerts ordering immediate evacuation, with the fire front moving down from Kalamaki and Agios Vasilis toward the olive groves below. Around 500 people live in the affected area. Evacuation orders also went out to residents of Arravonista, Synanea, Agioi Theodori, and Lidoriki in the Achaia region. The scale of destruction in Boeotia is staggering. Fire meteorologist Thodoris Giannaros estimates the affected area already exceeds 40,000 to 50,000 acres. Smoke from the fires in southern Boeotia, Attica, and Argolida traveled more than 750 kilometers, reaching the North African coast. Separately, footage obtained by fire service officials appears to show a suspect deliberately starting a fire in Rethymno, Crete, where the person spent 46 seconds near a bush before leaving as smoke appeared behind them. Three firefighters have already lost their lives in these fires. Authorities across multiple regions remain on standby as winds are expected to begin easing later in the day. #G...