Firefighting forces are locked in an all-night battle against a fierce blaze in Krystallopigi, Prespes, in the Florina regional unit, where a wildfire has been burning since Wednesday afternoon in rugged, hard-to-reach terrain. In the early hours of the morning, authorities ordered the precautionary evacuation of residents in the wider settlement area, while additional firefighting forces were deployed at dawn.
The fire broke out at approximately 18:00 on September 2nd in a forested area near Krystallopigi, with firefighting operations continuing throughout the night under extremely demanding conditions.
A total of 42 firefighters are currently deployed at the scene, supported by two infantry unit teams from the 8th EMODE and 13 vehicles, while one helicopter has been assigned for aerial firefighting operations.
The Fire Service is also being assisted by the Region of Western Macedonia and the Municipality of Florina, which have dispatched water tankers and heavy machinery to support the effort.
Precautionary evacuation ordered at 02:50
As the fire continued to spread during the night, emergency alert authorities issued a second activation of the 112 emergency notification system. At 02:50 in the early hours of Thursday, an evacuation alert was sent out, instructing residents in the wider Krystallopigi settlement area to evacuate in the direction of Prespes.
This was preceded by a first 112 alert at 21:15 on Wednesday evening, notifying people in the surrounding area of the developing wildfire situation.
Firefighting efforts are being significantly hampered by the rough and inaccessible terrain where the fire broke out, severely limiting the ability of ground forces to approach and contain the blaze. Operations remain fully underway.
