Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that devastating forest fires that have been raging in the country for more than a week are the biggest environmental disaster in Greece in decades, according to the Associated Press.
The fires broke out against the background of the strongest heat in 30 years. Authorities were unable to cope on their own and were forced to seek help from abroad. Hundreds of firefighters, as well as planes, helicopters and fire engines, arrived from 24 countries in Europe and the Middle East to help put out the blaze.
“We managed to save lives, but we lost forests and property,” Mitsotakis told a news conference in Athens. This is the first briefing of the Prime Minister since the beginning of the devastating forest fires.
Mitsotakis said authorities are battling about 100 active outbreaks every day. The situation is already improving, most forest fires are under control. However, the prime minister warned that the danger of new fires still exists.
“It’s mid-August, and it’s clear that we have harder days ahead of us until the end of the main season, which is characterized by forest fires,” Mitsotakis said.
“There is a climate crisis. “I prefer to use the definition of ‘climate crisis’ instead of climate change,” he said, adding that he was ready to make the bold changes needed to tackle the climate crisis.
In recent days, several people have been arrested on suspicion of incitement to arson.
The government has announced that protecting people’s lives is a priority, and has issued dozens of fire evacuation orders, according to the AP.
The volunteer died fighting the fire after being hit on the head by an electric pole that fell near Athens. Four volunteers who were injured in the fires were hospitalized, two of them in intensive care in critical condition.