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25 August 2023
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More than 600 fire fighters called to fight wildfires in Greece; death toll at 21
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More than 600 fire fighters, including reinforcements from several European countries and backed by a fleet of water-dropping planes and helicopters, are battling three major wildfires in Greece, two of which have been burning for days. A massive wildfire in the country's northeastern regions of Evros and Alexandroupolis, believed to have caused 20 of the 21 wildfire-related deaths in the past week in Greece, was burning for a ninth day.
The fire, where smaller fires combined to form one of the largest single wildfires ever to have struck a European Union country, has decimated vast tracts of forest and burned homes in outlying areas of the city of Alexandroupolis.
On Sunday 295 fire fighters, seven aircarft and five helicopters were tackling it, the fire department said. Evacuation orders were issued for two villages, one in the Evros region and another in the Rodopi region.
The wildfire has scorched 769 square kilometres of land and had 120 active hotspots, the European Union's Copernicus Emergency Management Service said Sunday.
On the northwestern fringes of the Greek capital, another major wildfire has been blazing for days, scorching homes and burning into the national park on Mount Parnitha, one of the last green areas near Athens. The fire department said 260 fire fighters, one aircraft and three helicopters were trying to tame the flames.
A third major wildfire started on Saturday on the Cycladic island of Andros and was still burning out of control Sunday, with 73 fire fighters, two aircraft and two helicopters dousing the blaze. Lightning strikes are suspected of having sparked that wildfire.
Greece has been plagued by daily outbreaks of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combined to whip up flames and hamper fire fighting efforts. On Saturday, fire fighters tackled 122 fires, including 75 that broke out in the 24 hours between Friday evening and Saturday evening, the fire department said.
With fire fighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called for help from other European countries. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus have sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian, Slovak and Serb fire fighters are helping on the ground.
A turn for the worse
With their hot, dry summers, southern European countries are particularly prone to wildfires. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.
Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations every year, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues.
The causes of Greece's two largest fires have not yet been determined. For some of the smaller blazes, officials have said arson or negligence is suspected, and several people have been arrested.
On Saturday, fire department officials arrested two men, one on the island of Evia and one in the central Greek region of Larissa, for allegedly deliberately setting fire to dried grass and vegetation to spark wildfires. By Friday, fire department officials had arrested 163 people on fire-related charges since the start of the fire prevention season, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis announced, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson.
The police had made a further 18 arrests, he said.
Greek islands and mainland have suffered nightmarish extremes during Europe's summer of record-breaking heat.
Sources: Associated Press
The fire, where smaller fires combined to form one of the largest single wildfires ever to have struck a European Union country, has decimated vast tracts of forest and burned homes in outlying areas of the city of Alexandroupolis.
On Sunday 295 fire fighters, seven aircarft and five helicopters were tackling it, the fire department said. Evacuation orders were issued for two villages, one in the Evros region and another in the Rodopi region.
The wildfire has scorched 769 square kilometres of land and had 120 active hotspots, the European Union's Copernicus Emergency Management Service said Sunday.
On the northwestern fringes of the Greek capital, another major wildfire has been blazing for days, scorching homes and burning into the national park on Mount Parnitha, one of the last green areas near Athens. The fire department said 260 fire fighters, one aircraft and three helicopters were trying to tame the flames.
A third major wildfire started on Saturday on the Cycladic island of Andros and was still burning out of control Sunday, with 73 fire fighters, two aircraft and two helicopters dousing the blaze. Lightning strikes are suspected of having sparked that wildfire.
Greece has been plagued by daily outbreaks of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combined to whip up flames and hamper fire fighting efforts. On Saturday, fire fighters tackled 122 fires, including 75 that broke out in the 24 hours between Friday evening and Saturday evening, the fire department said.
With fire fighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called for help from other European countries. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus have sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian, Slovak and Serb fire fighters are helping on the ground.
A turn for the worse
With their hot, dry summers, southern European countries are particularly prone to wildfires. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.
Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations every year, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues.
The causes of Greece's two largest fires have not yet been determined. For some of the smaller blazes, officials have said arson or negligence is suspected, and several people have been arrested.
On Saturday, fire department officials arrested two men, one on the island of Evia and one in the central Greek region of Larissa, for allegedly deliberately setting fire to dried grass and vegetation to spark wildfires. By Friday, fire department officials had arrested 163 people on fire-related charges since the start of the fire prevention season, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis announced, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson.
The police had made a further 18 arrests, he said.
Greek islands and mainland have suffered nightmarish extremes during Europe's summer of record-breaking heat.
Sources: Associated Press
