The wildfires in Greece have become a symbol of both a struggle against human-induced climate change, and government-induced austerity.
F Clark and reporting from V Merkova in Athens
Above photo: “Cloudy sky from the wildfires in Greece had reached even islands quite far away © Angeliki Pantazi”
Several parts of Greece have been blazing for two weeks as wildfires rage through the island of Evia, a densely wooded island northeast of Athens. Wildfires have also been burning in nearby Turkey, as well as Italy, Tunisia and Algeria – all indications of the sweltering temperatures that are a symptom of the global climate emergency.
Since July, over 580 fires have broken out across Greece, the biggest being in Evia, where hundreds of firefighters are still struggling to control the blazes and more than 2,000 people had to be evacuated, with eldery residents carried onto ferries against an almost apocalyptic backdrop.
The fires erupted as a result of Greece’s most severe heatwave in 30 years, which saw temperatures soar to 45C (113F). This hot, dry weather, combined with strong winds, fueled the wildfires, which are becoming more frequent in various parts of the world, from Australia to parts of the U.S. and Europe, to north Africa, as a result of human-induced climate change.
This week the UN released a major scientific report stating that human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways, warning of increasingly extreme heatwaves, droughts and flooding, and a key temperature limit being broken in just over a decade. The UN chief described the report as “a code red for humanity“.
In Greece, local officials said not enough help had been sent to fight the fires, with firefighters struggling to battle the huge fires as they engulfed large sections of Evia’s pine forests.
Mitsotakis has apologised for failures in tackling the wildfires tearing across the country, though his apology comes too late for many who have had to watch their homes and farmlands burn, leave them behind, or attempt helplessly to dampen the flames with limited help from authorities.
While Greece’s government presents the fires as an uncontrollable consequence of climate change, public anger has been directed at delays and breakdowns in the government’s response, as well as an apparent lack of water-dropping planes and a delay in seeking help from the EU.
Almost 1,000 firefighters, nine aircraft and 200 vehicles have been sent to Greece from other countries, including EU states, Russia, the UK and US. Welsh firefighters were also part of the UK team which helped battle the fires.
While the help from other countries was greatly appreciated, some Greeks have questioned why so much help was required in the first place.
A decade of austerity has significantly weakened Greece’s firefighting services, according to the head of Greece’s firefighters federation, Dimitris Stathopoulos. Since the 2008 economic crisis, the Greek fire department has been left understaffed and unequipped, while forest roads used by the fire trucks have been poorly maintained – yet the threat of forest fires has only grown.
People have also angrily pointed out the disproportionate amount of police compared to firefighters.
Greece’s police presence has not gone unnoticed, and, like many other nations, its sizable police force is considered by those on the right as an attempt to enforce law and order, or by the left, to quell political dissent.
Delivering on their promises from the 2019 election, the New Democracy party hired 1,500 more police officers and created an additional 1,030 OPPI university police. These new recruits are not regular police, but a part of an ever-expanding corps of Special Guards (Eidikoi Frouroi), a second-tier policing group within the Hellenic Police.
“Thanks to all the countries who have given firefighting assistance,” wrote one commenter on Twitter. “If you ever need cops, let us know”.
Dimitris Stathopoulos said 5,000 firefighters needed to be hired immediately, as the Greek fire service continues to be stretched as a result of extreme weather – battling 10 days of floods in March which was followed by freak snowfall and the current raging wildfires. There is no doubt their services will become even more essential as we enter a crucial decade for the climate.
Wildfires are not new to Greece, but they have been compounded by the effects of human-induced climate change, cuts to the Greek fire service, and a lack of government intervention. Public anger is building as people grapple with the loss of homes and livelihoods, and the fear of this being repeated in the future.
The situation the government finds themselves in is also intensified by the fact that the New Democracy party’s previous election campaign capitalised off of the forest fire catastrophe which took place in 2018, which killed over 100 people at the Mati seaside resort to the north-east of Athens.
Earlier this week, a demonstration was organised demanding funding for the fire service and a host of emergency measures to be put in place. There are also plans for further demonstrations at the end of the month, with people who lost their homes set to march.
While there is a focus on the looming threat of climate breakdown, and the implications that are already taking effect, there is also mounting frustration towards government incompetence. “Indignation is pervasive,” says Paraskevi Tsinaslanidou. “Anger has taken on a collective form and we now hope for its creative expression.”
