Greek government detained 13 persons on Saturday after lights from a sailboat started a fire on the island of Hydra, close to Athens.
The blaze, which started later Friday, was caused by pyrotechnics launched from a vessel. According to Hydra’s fire crew on Facebook, it destroyed the only oak forest in the town of Hydra, which is difficult to access because of no roads. ” Greece has toughened its penalties for arson, with perpetrators now facing up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to 200, 000 euros ($ 214, 000 )”, the fire service added in their statement.
According to a fireplace company statement, authorities conducted an investigation that resulted in the arrest of 13 people. They will be presented to a counsel on Sunday. According to an official,” the detention come after complaints that the bush fire was sparked by fireworks launched from the sailboat on Friday day.”
At least one person has already been reported dead this week in Greece as a result of fatal summer burns. Hydra’s president expressed anger and promised to prosecute those responsible. ” Outrage”, he said, while urging legal action against the “irresponsible” people behind the fireworks. Speaking to the ERT people journalist, the governor said,” Specialists had to make more anti- fireplace zones and roads through forests”.
On the island of Andros, four villages were forced to be evacuated as a result of yet another fire that erupted on Saturday. In an effort to stop the spread, emergency services sent planes and helicopters to the scene and dropped water on the embers.
The legal protection support has called for serious vigilance as Greece prepares for what is anticipated to be a challenging summer fire season. ” The risk of burns is very high”, especially in the Attica area, the Peloponnese coast, and central Greece, government warned.
Greece recently recorded its first heatwave of the year, with temperatures soaring above 44 degrees Celsius ( 111 Fahrenheit ) in some regions. This comes after the Mediterranean nation’s most chilly winter always came out. A 55-year-old man who was fighting flames near his settlement died while fighting fires that had been spread by three nights of fierce winds.
After a devastating wildfire that claimed 20 lives, the extreme two-week heat from last year came to an end.
Experts have linked geological fuel emissions, which are extending the duration and impact of wildfire conditions, to the increase in frequency and intensity of wildfires. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, rising temperatures are extending the duration of light conditions and causing more of these areas to spread.
