A major wildfire burning near Konitsa in northwestern Greece has put communities and protected forests at risk, forcing authorities to concentrate resources on stopping its advance through the rugged Northern Pindus landscape.
The blaze started on Mount Trapezitsa on August 31 and later expanded after strong flare-ups. On Sunday, the response involved more than 150 firefighters, eight ground teams and 48 vehicles, with eight aircraft and four helicopters supporting crews from the air.
Steep slopes and the lack of ground access have limited where firefighters can operate. Their immediate priorities are to prevent the flames from moving downhill toward Konitsa and to protect the wooded area above the town.
Aoos River becomes a key defensive line
Crews are also seeking to stop the fire from descending through the Aoos Gorge, crossing the river and entering the forests of Tymfi. That possibility would widen the emergency and expose another difficult mountain area to the flames.
“The fire is descending through the gorge toward the river,” Maximos, the abbot of the nearby Monastery of Stomio, told Epirus Post. “If it crosses the river and enters Tymfi, then things will become very difficult, and it will be difficult to extinguish.”
Maximos said the lack of a road along a critical stretch near the monastery was preventing fire engines from reaching a point where crews might intervene before the blaze moved to the other side of the river.
The terrain makes aerial support central to the firefighting operation, but it also raises difficult decisions for civil protection authorities over how to deploy crews without exposing them to unacceptable danger.
The Aoos Gorge belongs to the most tightly protected zone of Northern Pindus National Park, alongside Vikos Gorge and the Valia Calda core of the Pindus National Forest. Established in 2005, the park extends across almost 197,000 hectares in the Ioannina and Grevena regional units. It includes all of Zagori, parts of Konitsa and Metsovo, and major mountain areas including Tymfi and Smolikas.
Mature forests could suffer lasting damage
Mount Trapezitsa is covered largely by mature Bosnian pine, other pine species and fir. In sections where the severe terrain has prevented logging, combustible material has accumulated on the forest floor. Resin-rich trees can also intensify fire behavior.
If the flames enter Tymfi, they could spread into a varied landscape of woodland, cliffs, gorges and high-altitude habitats. The mountain supports oak areas and mixed forests containing black pine, fir and beech. Ancient mountain junipers and Bosnian pines, called rombola in Greece, grow at higher elevations.
The destruction of mature trees would not be quickly reversed. Vegetation loss on sharp slopes could also worsen erosion and disturb wildlife habitat, leaving public agencies to manage ecological consequences long after the emergency phase ends.
Wildlife and public health risks
Tymfi supports a wide range of wildlife despite its rocky appearance. According to Greece’s Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency, its cliffs hold the country’s largest population of Balkan chamois. Golden eagles, peregrine falcons and other uncommon mountain birds also live in the area.
At lower elevations, the wider ecosystem provides habitat for brown bears, wolves, otters and black woodpeckers. Forests, alpine meadows and waterways add to the protected area’s biological importance.
The scale of environmental damage will remain unclear while the fire is active. The eventual consequences will depend on the area burned, the intensity of the blaze and whether it crosses the Aoos into Tymfi.
Heavy smoke has meanwhile affected Konitsa. Municipal civil protection officials warned that aerial water drops could temporarily make smoke conditions worse. They advised people with respiratory or heart conditions to remain in closed, air-conditioned buildings or leave the area as a precaution.
Residents were also told to avoid the fire zone and leave narrow roads open for emergency vehicles. Authorities’ next task is to hold the Aoos line while protecting Konitsa, a strategy that could determine whether the incident remains concentrated around Trapezitsa or spreads deeper into one of Greece’s largest protected mountain regions.
@protothema.gr ‼️ Μια πολύ μεγάλη πυρκαγιά είναι σε εξέλιξη στην περιοχή της Τραπεζίτσας, κοντά στην Κόνιτσα με τις πυροσβεστικές δυνάμεις να δίνουν μάχη για να καταφέρουν να την έλεγξουν. Η πυρκαγιά ξεκίνησε στις 31 Αυγούστου και τα τελευταία 24ωρα υπάρχουν πολύ ισχυρές αναζωπυρώσεις που έχουν δώσει στις φλόγες πολύ μεγάλες διαστάσεις, ενώ ταυτόχρονα έχουν κάνει το έργο της Πυροσβεστικής πολύ δύκολο. #protothema #news #greektiktok #tiktokgreece
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