Wildfire destroys 8,000 decares of land in Greece

An assessment based on data from the Athens National Observatory’s FireHUB platform found that a wildfire that began on Aug. 31 on Mount Trapezitsa in Konitsa had damaged about 8,000 decares of land by Sept. 8, Greek media reported.

The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the fire mainly affected a Natura 2000 site, a European Union network for the protection of natural habitats, as well as the second zone of the Northern Pindos National Park, which has a high level of protection.

The fire, which has been brought under control, spread across a large area of the region. Steep terrain, dense forest cover and limited road access complicated firefighting efforts. Water tanks were transported by helicopter to firefighters working in the mountainous area.

According to Ilias Tziritis, head of operations coordination at WWF Greece, the fir and black pine forests severely damaged by the fire could take more than 100 years to regenerate naturally.

Tziritis said wildfires in high-mountain areas had spread across larger areas in recent years and stressed the importance of responding to such fires at an earlier stage.

The Natura 2000 network was established by the European Union to protect biodiversity and important habitats and species. Northern Pindos National Park is one of Greece’s important protected mountainous areas.