Authorities in Halkidiki have begun urgent stream clearing and flood prevention planning following a major wildfire near the coastal settlement of Siviri.
Local forestry officials and regional leaders are rushing to complete anti-erosion and flood mitigation studies ahead of the autumn rains to protect downstream communities from post-fire water runoff, soil erosion, and mudslides.
A comprehensive technical study is currently underway for the streams surrounding Siviri on the Kassandra peninsula in northern Greece. The assessment records the course of each watercourse, its flow path, and its coastal outlet, while calculating the estimated expenditure required for clearance and restoration work.
Deputy Regional Governor of Halkidiki Yiannis Koufidis said that the completed study will be presented at an upcoming government meeting at Kassandra Town Hall. Koufidis explained that the presentation will give authorities a clear picture of the specific intervention points and the total cost required for the flood defense projects.
Flood defense funding and environmental works
At the same time, the Kassandra Forestry Service is coordinating funding applications and engineering proposals for anti-erosion and flood prevention infrastructure across the burned zone. Head of the Kassandra Forestry Service Dr. Margarita Mpahantourian confirmed that initial administrative documents have already been sent from Thessaloniki to the Green Fund in Athens to secure state financing.
Mpahantourian said that the next immediate step will be awarding contracts for the execution of detailed engineering studies. She noted that once a wildfire ends, especially a fire of such high intensity situated adjacent to residential settlements where flooding could occur, authorities must immediately launch flood control and soil stabilization protocols.
Explaining the technical scope of the planned interventions, Mpahantourian said that anti-erosion and flood defense projects perform distinct but complementary functions. Anti-erosion works focus on retaining topsoil on scorched hillsides to limit erosion and create optimal conditions for natural forest regeneration. Flood prevention works involve constructing small check dams and barriers inside ravines to slow down water runoff and protect lower settlements from flooding.
Mpahantourian emphasized that executing flood control and anti-erosion works quickly is essential for the region. She added that procedures are expected to move fast under streamlined implementation rules introduced nationwide after recent major forest fires, ensuring works begin before seasonal autumn rains arrive.
Emergency logging and road safety measures
Alongside long-term environmental planning, forestry crews have already executed urgent safety interventions to secure local transport links. Mpahantourian said that immediately after the fire was contained, members of local forest cooperatives worked along both sides of the provincial road network to cut down and remove more than 200 burned and dangerous pine trees.
Forestry officials noted that removing hazardous trees along roadsides is critical for public safety and allows heavy machinery access to damaged areas. Logging burned timber across affected hillside slopes must take place before heavy rainfall creates additional hazards.
Wildfire damage and land classification
Official estimates from the Kassandra Forestry Service indicate that the wildfire affected a total area of approximately 2,500 stremmata. Mpahantourian clarified that the affected territory includes both forested terrain and non-forested agricultural land.
Approximately 1,400 stremmata of the total area consists of classified forest land. The remaining 1,100 stremmata comprised agricultural land, including private olive groves, which may not have burned entirely because the fire advanced through spotting, jumping across separated land parcels.
Prevention programs and firefighting operations
Forestry leaders highlighted that preventive fuel management measures carried out prior to the fire played a key role in saving local homes. Mpahantourian said that extensive understory clearing carried out in the Siviri area prevented the wildfire from destroying the village.
Preventive interventions involve removing dense undergrowth and excess organic fuel from the forest floor that would otherwise feed rapid fire spread. The clearance work in Halkidiki was funded under ANTINERO, a national fire protection program aimed at reducing forest fuel loads and building protective infrastructure.
Mpahantourian also detailed field operations during the three-day fire, noting that Forestry Service personnel worked alongside emergency services and regional heavy machinery operators on the mountain. Guided by forestry staff, crews cut three continuous firebreaks across the terrain, with the third line acting as a backup defense to protect Siviri, Papakyritzi, and Fourka.
Government inspection and disaster assistance
A senior government delegation is scheduled to meet in Kassandra to inspect the damage and coordinate relief efforts. The meeting will be led by Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection responsible for State Relief Kostas Katsafados, accompanied by General Secretary for Natural Disaster Restoration and State Relief Petros Kampouris.
Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Margaritis Schinas will also join the delegation at Kassandra Town Hall to evaluate losses affecting local agricultural land, olive groves, and farming infrastructure. The visit includes an on-site field inspection and consultations with municipal leaders and regional agencies.
Wildfire outbreak and sea evacuation
The wildfire broke out on the afternoon of Thursday, August 13, 2026, in an agricultural and forest area of Kassandra. Fueled by strong winds, the fire moved rapidly toward populated areas, prompting emergency authorities to issue evacuation orders for Siviri and Fourka via the national 112 emergency system.
Because land evacuation routes were cut off by smoke and flames, more than 480 people were evacuated by sea from Siviri beach. Official damage assessment inspections began on August 17 to facilitate state disaster assistance for affected residents and local businesses.
