Ten worst fires destroyed 280,000 hectares in 20 years

The destructive force of wildfires in Greece since 2003 has been illustrated in a study by the National Observatory of Athens, which showed 10 of the most severe ones destroyed more than 280,000 hectares of vegetation.

The study found the fire in Arcadia, southern Greece in August 2007 was the most severe in terms of rate of spread (hectares per day). It destroyed over 25,000 hectares in a single day. The fire on Evia in August 2021, which razed more than 15,000 hectares in one day, came in fourth. Six of the 10 most severe forest fires occurred in the Peloponnese. In addition, six of the 10 worst fires occurred during the 2007 fire season. 

The report said the findings of the report “emphatically demonstrate the need to adopt integrated management strategies for the problem of extreme forest fires, based on cutting-edge scientific knowledge.”