This summer has been difficult for the Fire Brigade and firefighters, as about 150,000 acres of forests and agricultural land have gone up in flames.
This time last year it was about 80,000 acres, while in 2014 the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) notes that about 100,000 acres of forests and crops were burned down. The major increase in damages caused by the fires has been attributed to the lesser rainfall and snowfall this year.
Chios has suffered the most this year, with 52.420 acres of forest and crops, mostly mastic trees, having gone up in flames. The fire that broke out in Rhodes in mid June burned down 17,720 acres of forests and even threatened settled areas.
Similarly the recent fires in Marmari and Gonni saw 15,150 and 9,140 acres of land respectively destroyed. The fire that broke out at Dervenochoria, which raged on for three days, resulted in 13,140 acres of pine forests burning.
