Crews Combat Unchecked Wildfire on Greece’s Chios Island

    0
    0

    ATHENS, Greece — A wildfire ravaging the eastern Aegean island of Chios entered its third day on Tuesday, engaging hundreds of firefighters and multiple aircraft in a battle to contain the out-of-control blaze. Authorities on the island, which is now under a state of emergency, have ordered several evacuation operations.

    Towering flames are consuming vast stretches of both forested and agricultural land on Chios. In response, firefighting units have been deployed in force, with reinforcements arriving from Athens, Thessaloniki, and the nearby island of Lesbos to aid local efforts.

    As of Tuesday morning, the fire department reported a robust deployment of resources: 444 firefighters accompanied by 85 vehicles striving to subdue the fire. In the air, 11 helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft are being used to dump water over the affected areas, providing critical aerial support to ground crews.

    The situation has led to emergency services issuing evacuation notices for various villages and settlements starting Sunday when the flames first erupted near the island’s primary town. An arson investigation team has been sent to determine the blaze’s origins, given the suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire’s outbreak.

    “Several fires have erupted in different, unconnected regions of the island simultaneously—a pattern that raises suspicion,” stated Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis on a trip to Chios on Monday. The authorities, he noted, are “seriously exploring the possibility of arson as an organized criminal act.”

    In light of these developments, security on the island has been intensified, with additional police officers and doubled military patrols seeking to curb any illegal activities.

    Minister Kefalogiannis stressed that any individuals deliberating acts of premeditated harm to citizens and disruption would face justice. “Arson constitutes a grave offense, and we will respond to it with the severity it demands,” he assured.

    Wildfires are not uncommon in Greece, particularly during the arid, scorching summer months. The nation still bears the scars from the 2018 wildfire disaster in Mati, a resort town east of Athens, which led to over 100 fatalities, including some individuals who perished while attempting to escape by swimming.