A state of emergency was declared today on the Greek island of Chios, due to forest fires that hundreds of firefighters have been battling for two days.
Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Yannis Kefalogiannis, upon arriving on the island, said that the situation is quite difficult because new fires are constantly breaking out and the climatic conditions are not favorable.
Another 170 firefighters will reinforce 11 teams of about 190 firefighters deployed on the island in the northeastern Aegean Sea, who were trying to prevent the fire from spreading to homes and areas known for the production of mastic, a natural resin collected from mastic trees.
Another 30 vehicles will join the 38 already deployed, with the help of 13 helicopters and four planes, Kefalogiannis said. Gusty winds are hampering efforts to extinguish the wildfires, which have destroyed forests and pastures and are moving north, west and south of Chios town, the island's capital. Power has been cut off and hundreds of villagers have been evacuated, Reuters reports.
Kefalogiannis said authorities would investigate the causes of the fires that broke out in different parts of the island.
Greece has been facing the economic and environmental consequences of frequent forest fires in recent years, which scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.
The country has spent hundreds of millions of euros to compensate households and farmers for damage caused by extreme weather conditions and has upgraded firefighting equipment.
This year, it has hired a record number of firefighters, about 18.000, in anticipation of a challenging fire season.
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