Greece Announces Measures to Help Those Affected by Forest Fires Near Athens

Greek authorities announced Tuesday measures to help displaced people who lost their homes due to forest fires near Athens in recent days. A large number of homes, businesses and farms were destroyed or damaged over an area of about 100 square kilometers after strong winds caused a devastating fire last Sunday. Most of the fires were brought under control by Tuesday, with firefighting services focusing on prevention efforts. Satellite images showed only scattered fires after previous images showed the fire blanket extending for 30 kilometers, with flames extending to a depth of up to 10 kilometers. Firefighting services continued to deploy 17 planes and 18 helicopters, along with hundreds of firefighters in the area. This fire brings to mind the Mati fire disaster in the coastal area near the town of Marathon, where 104 people died in July 2018 in a tragedy caused by delayed action and errors in evacuation operations. Greece is prone to wildfires after a very dry winter. June and July recorded the high est temperatures since data collection began in 1960. Source: Qatar News Agency