WWF calls for more awareness about forest fires

Environmental conservation group WWF Greece on Thursday called for more public education in the protection of the country’s forests after data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) put 2016 as the fifth worst year for fires in a decade.

According to the data, more than 30,000 hectares of brush and forest were razed in Greece this year, with the worst damage on the islands of Thasos, Chios and Evia.

“The fire protection mechanism is not just state agencies,” said WWF’s local action coordinator, Elias Tziritis. “Every citizen needs to feel they are an important link in the chain of protection of our forests.”