Wildfire near Athens leaves rescuers scrambling to reunite hundreds of animals
Volunteers and local rescuers are trying to reunite displaced pets and wild animals after the blaze burned more than 100 square kilometers, officials said.
- On Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, local volunteers in Megara, Greece, rescued more than 280 animals, mostly dogs, from a wildfire. Organizer Elena Dede led the effort, sheltering displaced pets amid scorching heat and high winds.
- The wildfire burned on five fronts, consuming more than 100 square kilometers of land and torching dozens of homes near Athens. Unpredictable fire spread forced volunteers to navigate aggressive conditions as flames swept across mountains and coastal areas.
- Rescued animals stayed in a stadium and sports court where they were kept in collapsible cages with water and toys. Mixed-breed puppy Sasa remained missing after containment lines were lifted on Wednesday.
- Local authorities are helping match missing-animal notices with rescued pets to find temporary homes. Dede noted the emotional toll, saying, "I will never forget the animals that we knew were left behind."
- Richard Parr, director of the U.K.-based Center for Wild Animal Welfare, urged governments to establish "fire refuges" like ponds for animals. The organization is campaigning for a dedicated European Union animal rescue service to address systemic gaps.
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Olympic stadium becomes safe haven for dogs rescued from Greece wildfires
The Megara Olympians Municipal Stadium, originally built for athletes, is now providing refuge for more than 110 dogs saved from the fires that have torn through the Attica region surrounding Athens.
Hundreds of domestic and wild animals were rescued by volunteers after the fires that struck the central region of Greece in the last week Petros Giannakouris / AP The Sasa can, with fallen ears and attentive look, had not yet returned home on Wednesday (5), when the last containment bands were removed after the flames advanced by mountainous and coastal areas near the capital of Greece. The dog was one of hundreds of domestic and wild animals r…
Wildfire near Athens leaves rescuers scrambling to reunite hundreds of
MEGARA, Greece (AP) — Sasa, an alert and floppy-eared mixed-breed puppy, did not return home when the remaining containment lines were lifted Wednesday in the wake of a wildfire that swept across mountains and coastal areas near Athens. The pup was one of hundreds of pets and wild animals rescued by volunteers this week during the blaze, which prompted multiple evacuations. The fire — at one point burning on five fronts — torched dozens of homes…
"We will do everything in our power to promote natural regeneration" after the "serious environmental damage" suffered by vegetation and forests that burned for five days between 50 and 70 km west of the Greek capital, Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured. Since Friday, some 11,000 hectares have gone up in smoke west of the Greek capital, particularly around the seaside resort of Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, he specified after a meeting dedicat…
Government teams and residents of the region west of Athens began on Wednesday to assess the damage to homes, businesses and agricultural land affected by the devastating fire, which ravaged more than 14,000 hectares in five days.
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