The Greek authorities have declared a state of emergency on the island of Chios, located in the northeastern Aegean Sea, where hundreds of firefighters are battling growing forest fires for the third consecutive day, News.bg reports.
The strong winds are further complicating the control of the fire element, which has already caused power outages and forced the evacuation of local residents from several villages.
„The situation on the island remains extremely difficult. "We have constant new outbreaks and resurgence of already contained fires, and the weather conditions are not favorable," said the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Yannis Kefaloyiannis, upon his arrival in Chios.
Around 190 firefighters, organized into 11 teams, are already deployed on the island, and another 170 fire service personnel are arriving to help. They will be supported by an additional 30 fire engines, joining the existing 38, as well as 13 helicopters and 4 aerial extinguishing aircraft.
The fire threatens not only people's homes, but also the unique mastic plantations in the southern part of Chios - an area with a centuries-old tradition in the extraction of mastic, a natural resin widely used in medicine, cosmetics and the food industry.
The fires are spreading in several directions - to the north, west and south of the capital of Chios - and have already destroyed significant areas of forests and pastures. Hundreds of residents of villages near the outbreaks have been forced to leave their homes as a precautionary measure.
Minister Kefaloyiannis announced that an investigation into the causes of the fires, which broke out in different places at the same time, is underway. Authorities have not ruled out either human negligence or deliberate action.
In recent years, Greece has increasingly felt the effects of the climate crisis - with an increasing number of forest fires, floods and extreme heat. In response, the government has invested hundreds of millions of euros in compensation and modernizing firefighting equipment. This year, the country has hired a record number of firefighters - more than 18,000 people - in anticipation of a difficult summer season.