As strong winds and hot weather have led to a rise in fires in Greece, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of a “dangerous coming summer”. Since 2023, Greece has been facing devastating forest fires due to heatwaves and climate change. However, this year, due to strong winds and dry weather, forest fires are spreading. It is worth noting that forest fires are a common occurrence in Greece, especially during summer. However, since last year, due to climate change and hot weather, the incidence of fires has become more frequent, causing alarm in Athens. While firefighters were battling dozens of forest fires over the weekend, new fires broke out on the eastern Aegean islands of Chios and Kos on Monday.
Emergency services have issued evacuation orders and urged people in nearby areas to head to the nearest beach in Chios. In Kos, a fire broke out late Monday night, forcing many residents and tourists to evacuate as a precaution. 52 new forest fires have been reported in Greece in the past 24 hours, 44 of which have been contained in the early stages. These fires came as firefighters and fire services tackled two large fires near Athens. As fires continue to rage in Greece due to strong winds, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned of a “dangerous summer” ahead.
Not only have the forest fires set off alarm bells, but drought and hot and dry winds will also be a concern. The Greek PM told his cabinet, “This is a summer that is expected to be particularly dangerous… The most difficult time is still ahead of us. We had a very difficult time in June in terms of weather conditions, with very high drought and unusually strong winds for this season.” According to data shared by Mitsotakis, the two fires near Athens have burned less than 100,000 square metres of land. Greece has stepped up its preparations to tackle wildfires with a target date of 2023. Last year, the Greek leader declared a “national emergency” following a fire in Rhodes that forced the evacuation of nearly 19,000 people, including tourists, and left 20 dead.
