Greece’s Civil Protection has issued a fire warning for Sunday, July 15th 2018. The warning refers to the island group of Dodecanese, the islands of Samos and Ikaria in East Aegean Sea and the prefectures of Herakleio and Lasithi on the island of Crete.
For these areas there is a Very High Risk (Level 4)
For the remaining islands in the Aegean Sea – Cyclades, Lesvos, Chios and Prefectures of Chania and Rethymno on Crete, the Risk is High (Level 3).
It is the third Fire Risk Warning the Civil Protection issues this summer. The first was issued in June was referred to the Ionian islands and parts of Peloponnese, the second yesterday Saturday and referred to the same regions as on Sunday.
Meteorologists have forecast wind up to 8 Beaufort in the South Aegean Sea and especially the Lasithi Prefecture.
At the same time, the General Secretariat for Civil Protection recommends that citizens be very careful and avoid acts in the countryside that can cause fire by negligence, such as throwing lit cigarettes, burning dry grasses and branches or cleaning residues, using sparking machines such as circular saws, welding devices, the use of outdoor grills etc.
The Civil Protections reminds that setting fields on fire is prohibited during the “anti-fire season” in the summer months.
In the event of a fire, citizens are kindly requested to immediately notify the Fire Service by calling number <199>.
Every summer thousands of acres are burned down due to wildfires that put human lives, the fauna and flora of Greece at risk.
Greece’s National Observatory has published a simulation video of the spreading of the wild fire in Kalamos, North-East Attica, in August 2017.
The video is part of research program DISARM (Drought and fIre obServatory and eArly waRning systeM) – INTERREG-BALKAN-MEDITERRANEAN 2014-2020).