Tourism and nature, Greece is expecting a "fiery" summer

The favorite holiday destination of many Europeans, Greece did not escape the curse of fires this year either. Despite the measures there are still problems. Violent wildfires that broke out in the suburbs of Athens on Sunday "are under control," fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis said, as Greek authorities fear a difficult summer ahead. "There is no longer an active front, the fires were isolated by firefighters supported on Sunday by water bombers and helicopters, who fought in very dangerous conditions", he explained. Fueled by strong winds of 70 km/h and drought, two fires broke out at noon on Sunday in Keratea, a seaside resort east of the capital, and Stamata, a forested suburb at the foot of Mount Penteli, in northern Athens. Authorities carried out evacuations and a 45-year-old man died of cardiac arrest while trying to escape the flames in Stamata, where some houses suffered significant property damage. A tourist hotspot, Greece is hit by wildfires every summer. But the situation is set to be even more tense this year, after the mildest winter on record and the earliest heat wave, with temperatures rising locally to 44°C in early June.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting that his country "has now entered the heart of the fire season" and asked fellow citizens to help "prevent" these devastating fires. "The fight against fires will continue" and "it will certainly not be won without the help of citizens, especially in the field of prevention," he emphasized. The month of June this year "is characterized as the warmest since 2010 (...), with average monthly values of up to 4.8 degrees Celsius above the normal level for the season," the prime minister said on his website. Greek authorities warned last week of the "very high risk" of forest fires.