A destroyed car is seen at a recycling plant, following a wildfire, in Sesklo, in central Greece. (Image: Reuters)
Kikilias, the Greek minister of climate crisis and civil protection, said the majority of the 667 fires were started by people with the intention of spreading the wildfires.
Greek senior climate crisis officials said that most of the 667 fires that have erupted across Greece in the recent weeks were started by “human hand”. Greece is emerging from a never-before-experienced 15-day period of heatwave and wildfires which has led to widespread destruction.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from affected areas like Rhodes and Corfu. Three people have died and at least 74 others were injured. Two air force pilots died while extinguishing flames in their water-bombing plane as it crashed over Evia.
Greek experts have said the weather conditions are different from any other year and the first three weeks of July have been the hottest on record. The government claimed that most of the fires could have been prevented. “During this time 667 fires erupted, that is more than 60 fires a day, almost all over the country. Unfortunately, the majority were ignited by human hand, either by criminal negligence or intent,” Kikilias, the Greek minister of climate crisis and civil protection, was quoted as saying by the Guardian.
“The difference with other years was the weather conditions. Climate change, which yielded a historic and unprecedented heatwave, is here. There were very few days where the extreme weather was not combined with strong winds,” Kikilias further added.
He pointed out that the blazes broke out at numerous places in close proximity at the same time which he claimed suggests the involvement of arsonists who intended to spread the fires further.
Barring the Grecian islands in Aegean and Ionian seas, the rest of the nation witnessed highest temperatures in 15-years.
The UN, World Meteorological Organization and Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service described July as the hottest month in recorded history. “The evidence is everywhere. Humanity has unleashed destruction. This must not inspire despair, but action,” António Guterres, the UN secretary general said, calling for bold and immediate action.
Emergency services were not on high alert for the first time this week but fires were still flaming in some parts of Rhodes and the islands of Corfu and Evia.
At least 20,000 people, mostly tourists, fled hotels on the island of Rhodes and the rescue operation was described as the biggest evacuation ever carried out in Greece.
