This Friday, June 21, on the Greek island of Hydra, not far from Athens, a huge forest fire broke out. Firefighters rushed to the scene and quickly brought the fire under control. On their Facebook page, the island’s firefighters denounced this act “ The fire, caused by fireworks from a boat, burns the only pine forest on the island, in a place that is difficult to access and has no roads., sparking anger and indignation on social networks. The mayor of the city, Giorgos Koukoudakis also reacted “the municipality would file a civil suit against those responsible for the fire as soon as the preliminary investigation is completed”.
An island with difficult access
Thirteen people were accused and arrested on Saturday June 22 following the events, they were all interviewed by the prosecutor and will be tried this Wednesday. The captain of a neighboring yacht, who witnessed the fireworks, was also interviewed by the prosecutor. Although the fire was quickly brought under control by firefighters, the damage was still significant. Thirty hectares of pine forest, the last preserved on the island, were burned. The city’s mayor also called on authorities to act, ” the island has no fire zones or forest roads » thus allowing firefighters to access certain areas.
Greece, victim of numerous forest fires during the summer period, recently toughened penalties for arson. Those guilty of the fires can therefore face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 euros.
Currently in Greece, several forest fires are raging on different islands. Since June 19, the country’s authorities have warned of the very high risk, due to strong winds and high temperatures. The Mediterranean country went through its first heatwave last week with temperatures locally reaching more than 44°C.
