THE senior climate crisis official of Greece revealed that most of the 667 wildfires were started by human hands.
According to the Greek government, even though they battled very different weather conditions, most of the fires could have still been prevented.
Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias told the media that, “During this time 667 fires erupted, that is more than 60 fires a day, almost all over the country. Unfortunately, the majority were ignited by human hand, either by criminal negligence or intent.”
Meanwhile, in Central Greece, a wildfire caused massive explosions at an air force ammunition depot in Nea Anchialos on Thursday.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported as nearby villages had been evacuated beforehand.
A local resident described the impact of the explosions, stating that buildings had been severely damaged, with metalwork being the only thing left in some cases.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias ordered an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the explosions at the ammunition depot.
The wildfires in Greece had finally begun to subside after nearly two weeks of relentless burning.
But emergency services are still on high alert, working diligently to prevent new flare-ups in the central regions of the country, which had been severely affected by the wildfires.
On the Island of Rhodes, where wildfires had forced the evacuation of more than 20,000 tourists and locals from seaside hotels and houses, the situation had improved.
By Friday, the wildfires had subsided, having consumed about 10% of the island’s acreage.
Nevertheless, firefighting teams continued their operations at several sites to ensure full control over all fronts.
In light of this, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged the severity of the situation and emphasized the need for Greece to take further steps to combat the effects of climate change.
He stressed the importance of enhancing fire prevention measures to mitigate future crises of this scale.
