Greece, venue of 'largest wildfire ever recorded in EU'
3 Min Read
The EU has dispatched a total of 11 planes and one helicopter, as well as 407 firemen, to assist Greece in combating flames in the Dadia National Park.
-
A helicopter near the Fyli suburb in northwest Athens on August 25, 2023 (AP)
A forest fire in Greece is the "largest wildfire ever recorded in the EU," according to a European Commission official, and the EU is mobilizing nearly half of its firefighting air wing to combat it.
Greek firefighters are grappling with uncontrolled fires across the country, which the government blames on climate change.
In the last week, forest fires have claimed the lives of nineteen people suspected to be migrants, including two children.
The EU dispatched a total of 11 planes and one helicopter, as well as 407 firemen, to assist Greece in combating flames in the Dadia National Park, north of the city of Alexandroupoli, according to spokesperson Balazs Ujvari.
According to Greece's fire department, "The fire is still out of control" as it raged for 10 kilometers inside the reserve, which is a key refuge for birds of prey.
To combat fires throughout the EU and its neighbors, the EU now relies on a fleet of 28 aircraft supplied by member countries (24 water-dumping planes and four helicopters).
It is developing a self-contained, EU-funded air wing of 12 aircraft that will be operational by 2030.
"We do know that fires are getting more severe," Ujvari remarked.
"If you look at the figures every year in the past years, we are seeing trends which are not necessarily favorable, and that calls for of course more capacities at the member states' level."
The EU's commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, stated that EU air deployment is committed to acting swiftly in times of crisis.
The fires have been relentless, with over 350 fires in the last week. The extreme conditions have tested the capabilities of firefighters, and authorities have evacuated various areas to ensure residents' safety.
Unfortunately, false rumors have circulated on social media, wrongly blaming migrants for starting the fires. The Greek Supreme Court Prosecutor has initiated an investigation into the fires' causes and claims of racism toward migrants.
It is worth noting that wildfires have also ravaged many countries across almost all continents, most notably in Canada, the US, Spain, and Algeria. Temperature records were set in different regions across the world, leaving behind a trail of wildfires and floods from the North down to the South.
Scientists asserted that global warming, linked to fossil fuel dependence, contributes to the multiplication and intensification of heat waves.
