Greece’s prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis unpleasantly surprised with a statement massively lacking empathy and suggesting that the only thing that can “counterbalance” sombre mood in Greece due to extensive wildfires damages is the “good performance of economy.” While the wildfire in Evros, NE Greece, keeps raging for almost two weeks, …
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ΕU’s Emergency Response to tackle biggest wildfire in Greece
Τo tackle the biggest wildfires ever recorded in the EU, the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre – rescEU – has mobilized 11 firefighting planes and 1 helicopter from the rescEU reserve, stationed in 6 Member States. In addition, 6 European countries have contributed with 6 ground forest fire fighting teams …
Read More »More than 120,000 hectares burned in 2023 Greece wildfires
More than 120,000 hectares of land have burned across Greece in 2023 up until Wednesday according to the National Observatory of Athens’ Meteo.gr. At the same time, the European Observatory of Forest Fires noted the 2023 Greece wildfires’ burned land area is three times larger than the average annually burned …
Read More »Albanian national “arrests” migrants in Greece, accusing them for wildfires (video)
A video with a racist delirium depicts a man going out into the streets of Alexandroupolis in northern Greece, “arresting” migrants and refugees, as if he was the local …sheriff! The man, an Albanian national and well-known constructor in the area, and well as two Greek accomplices have been detained …
Read More »Evacuations in west Athens and Attica as wildfires out of control
Suburbs in western Athens and villages in Attica were evacuated as of early Tuesday afternoon, factories, storehouses and homes were burned down, parts of highway ring was closed, a local airbase is on alert and the blue Attica sky turned grey due to wildfires in Fyli at the foot of …
Read More »Shepherd dies in Viotia wildfire; evacuations ordered
A shepherd was found dead in his sheepfold following the wildfire in Viotia prefecture, northwest of the Greek capital Athens. The 80-year-old man was reportedly trying to rescue his animals from the flames. According to first estimations, the shepherd’s death is attributed to inhalation of fire smoke. The wildfire broke …
Read More »Wildfire raging in NE Greece; Egnatia highway partly closed; evacuations (videos)
A wildfire is raging out of control in a forest area in Melia, Alexandroupolis North-East Greece.The fire broke out earlier on Saturday and has forced the evacuation of seven villages as well as the closure of parts of Egnatia highway as strong winds are pushing the flames to the south. …
Read More »Wildfires on Crete partly under control (video)
Firefighters were still trying to put out a fire on Wednesday evening that broke out in the afternoon between the villages of Venerato and Kiparissi in Heraklio prefecture on the island of Crete. The fire started burning low brush in an area called Sinapi. A total of 13 firefighters with …
Read More »Wildfire in Kefalonia largely under control
Dozens of firefighter and several aerial means are still struggling on Monday against the wildfire on the island of Kefalonia in the Ionian Sea. The wildfire broke out around 9 o’ clock on Sunday evening in an area of mixed farmland and forest in Aghia Irini. No residential areas are …
Read More »Wildfire in Karystos, south Evia; 2nd fire caused by power cable (video)
A wildfire broke out in a remote forest area at Melissonas, in Karystos, south Evia island, on Friday afternoon. The fire broke out in a ravine where firefighters do not have easy access and it is burning a forest in Rouklia area of Agios Dimitrios in Karystos Municipality. According to …
Read More »Two villages evacuated in East Attica due to wildfire
An evacuation order was sent via the emergency number 112 to residents in the areas of Paliouri and Rizari at Marathonas, on the east coast of Attica, where a wildfire broke out at 14:40 on Wednesday afternoon. According to local media, the area is filled with smoke and the flames …
Read More »Eleven wildfires burned 23% of Attica Region during 2017-2023
Eleven large-scale fires in the Attica Region from 2017 to the end of July 2023 have destroyed over 55,000 hectares (550,000 stremmas), the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr said on Monday. The data were provided by the European Union’s Copernicus mapping services and the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Excluding …
Read More »Heftier penalties and jail for wildfires in Greece, even by negligence
Individuals who are responsible for starting wildfires even unintentionally will face jail time and much heftier fines, ministers for Justice Giorgos Floridis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Thursday after meeting to discuss new legislation governing arson-related crimes. “The Justice Ministry is in the process of revising the …
Read More »1,470 wildfires in July burned 470,000 acres in Greece
A total of 1,470 wildfires occurred in the month of July, Civil Protection and Climate Crisis Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced on Tuesday. These wildfires burned 470,000 acres, the meteo service of the National Observatory of Athens said in a report evaluating the impact of the heatwave in July 2023. In …
Read More »Zeibekiko amid wildfires cost Attica governor Patoulis ND support (video)
Ruling New Democracy officially withdrew its support to Attica Regional Governor Giorgos Patoulis on Monday morning. Ahead of the local elections in October, the press office of ND announced the deputy Defense Minister, Nikos Hardalias, as its candidate. Reason for Patoulis’ support withdrawal was a short video showing him relaxing …
Read More »Wildfire on the island of Chios caused by traffic accident (videos)
A fire broke out in the area of Diefcha, on the island of Chios, late on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of the villages of Diefcha and Katavasis for precautionary reasons in the middle of the night. The fire broke out after a driver crashed on the roadside and the car …
Read More »Citizens’ Protection Minister resigns after sea trip amid wildfires crisis
Minister of Citizens’ Protection Notis Mitarakis resigned early Friday afternoon, citing “personal reasons.” The Prime Minister has accepted his resignation, its the official government position, while the background is politically more juicy: “it was PM Mitsotakis who asked his resignation,” state ERT TV reported. Mitarakis’ resignation follows an article by …
Read More »Greece’s Wildfires die down after burning for nearly two weeks
Wildfires in Greece abated on Friday after burning for nearly two weeks but emergency services worked to prevent new flare-ups in the central part of the country, where people had fled massive explosions at an ammunition depot the day before. The blazes, fanned by rising temperatures and strong winds, have …
Read More »Wildfire in Greece reaches military depot, triggering explosions; F-16s evacuate (videos)
The raging wildfire in Central Greece has reached a depot of the Air Base in Nea Aghialos, triggering horrifying missile explosions. F-16s evacuate the Air Base nearby. Locals and tourists are being evacuated via the sea. By 8 p.m. there is an order of evacuation at a distance of at …
Read More »Greece wildfires release record 1 megatone of Carbon Emissions
Wildfires in Greece released a record 1 megaton of carbon emissions between July 1 and July 25, 2023, the EU Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said. That was nearly double the previous July 2007 record, with the smoke plumes fouling air quality in regions downwind. The intense wildfires burning in Greece …
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