Greece battles ‘Europe’s worst-ever wildfire’

The largest forest wildfire to be ever recorded in the European Union (EU) is currently blazing in Greece, prompting the bloc to send almost 50 per cent of its airborne firefighting fleet to combat the blaze, confirmed a European Commission spokesperson.

To combat the fire situated north of Alexandroupoli, eleven planes and one helicopter from the EU fleet have been sent, along with 407 firefighters, according to a report by Balazs Ujvari on Tuesday.

Simultaneously, an additional 260 firefighters and a helicopter are addressing flare-ups from another major fire that had previously burnt through a forest on the southern slopes of Mount Parnitha, situated close to the country’s capital Athens.

The EU currently has a fleet of 28 aircraft, comprising 24 water-dumping planes and four
helicopters, provided by member states to combat blazes within the bloc and neighbouring areas.

Responding to the largest wildfires in EU history, we’ve activated a massive #rescEU operation in Greece.

?️ 11 firefighting planes
? 1 helicopter
?‍? 407 firefighters
? 62 vehicles

In addition, in response to this weekend’s explosion in Romania, 12 severe burn patients were… pic.twitter.com/dO0OW14r2x

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) August 29, 2023

EU’s largest-ever wildfire

Spanning over 810 square kilometers, the wildfire has burnt down an area larger than the New York City, according to the EU’s civil protection service.

Describing the magnitude of the crisis, the service noted, “This wildfire is the largest in the EU since 2000, when the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) began recording data.”

The fire blazing in the north-eastern Dadia national park is sparking great concern as it is a crucial sanctuary for raptors, where the conflagration remains “out of control,” reported Greece’s fire service.

The @CopernicusEU satellite systems are helping Greek authorities to assess the impact and extent of the wildfires.

Over 20 maps of the affected areas have been issued since the activation of the #EUCivilProtection Mechanism.

The maps show how the wildfires have spread ↓ pic.twitter.com/NXSyh9B0Nq

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) August 29, 2023

Since the wildfire began earlier this month on August 19, 20 people have been confirmed dead, 18 of them identified as migrants. Their remains were discovered in an area frequently exploited as an illegal entry point from Turkey.

The inferno in the Alexandroupolis and Evros region, has primarily raged deep within a forest near the Turkish border, make it difficult to access for firefighting efforts.

Greece has been grappling with a series of massive fires this summer, attributed to the escalating climate crisis.

As the battle against the largest wildfire in EU history continues, it has during the previous week, wrought havoc on vast stretches of forest, razed homes, and necessitated the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic have dispatched firefighting aircraft under the EU’s emergency response framework, with France and Spain set to follow suit.

Janez Lenarcic, the leading EU official for crisis management, said the operation is the bloc’s most extensive aerial firefighting initiative.

Authorities are also investigating the origins of the fires and have arrested 24 people for intentional arson.

Also read: Raging wildfires trigger mass evacuation in Canada’s Northwest Territories