Wildfires and forest fires destroyed more than 13,000 hectares of forest and woodland in northern Greece, Attica, the eastern and southern islands of the Aegean Sea, the central mainland and the Peloponnese in the month of July, the “Flame” research team of the National Observatory of Athens said on Tuesday.
The 13,000 hectares were destroyed by just six biggest blazes out of dozens that broke out throughout Greece last month.
From July 1 to 31, wildfires destroyed around 4,000 hectares in the national park of Dadia in Evros, northeastern Greece, 2,780 hectares on Mount Penteli in East Athens, 2,450 on the island of Lesvos and 2,020 in Melambes on Crete, as well as 1,215 in Itea in the foothills of Mount Parnassos and 825 hectares in Arkadia in the Peloponnese.
Video by FLAME/meteo.gr
Fire Weather Warning
Authorities warn of adverse fire weather conditions are expected to prevail in a large part of Eastern and Southern Greece from Wednesday, August 3, until at least Friday, August 5, 2022.
Main reason for the worsening of the fire-meteorological conditions is the strengthening of the northern winds in the Aegean Sea and the eastern mainland in combination with the high flammability of forest fuels in places due to the prolonged high temperatures and dry conditions that prevailed in Greece in the previous days .
Based on the latest available forecast data analyzed by the FLAME group areas at fire risk are:
Wednesday, Aug 3
Very high risk: Attica (including Kythira), Viotia, Central Evia, Corinth, Argolida, Laconia, Samothraki, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios and Samos.
Locally high potential for wind-driven forest fires with potentially high heat loads is expected in Fthiotida, Ilia, Arcadia, Skyros, Rhodes and South. Crete.
High potential for wind-driven forest fires is expected in South Evia, Evros, Cyclades, Ikaria, Kasos and Karpathos.
Thursday, Aug 4
Very high risk: Attica (including Kythira), Viotia, Central Evia, Corinth, Argolida, Laconia, Samothraki, Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios and Samos.
Locally high potential for wind-driven forest fires with potentially high heat loads is expected in Fthiotida, Ilia, Arcadia, Messinia, Skyros, Rhodes and South Crete.
High potential for wind-driven forest fires is expected in South Evia, Rodopi, Evros, Cyclades, Kasos and Karpathos.
Friday, Aug 5
Very high risk: Attica (incl. Kythera), Viotia, Central Evia, Corinth, Argolida, Laconia, Samothraki, Lesvos and Chios.
Locally high potential for wind-driven forest fires with potentially high heat loads is expected in Lemnos, Samos, Skyros, Rhodes and South Crete.
High potential for wind-driven forest fires is expected in Western Sterea and North-West Peloponnese, very slightly possibly accompanied by the development of fire-clouds.
Fire Service and Civil Protection urge citizens in case they spot a fire to call <199> or <112>.
More on summer fires in Greece here.
