Wildfire Rages for Third Day on Chios, Greece...Strong Winds Hamper Containment

Emergency Firefighting Personnel and Equipment Deployed Nationwide
Flames Approach Residential Areas
Hundreds of Residents Urgently Evacuated

A large wildfire has been raging for three consecutive days on the island of Chios in the eastern Aegean Sea, Greece.

According to local media, including the daily newspaper Ta Nea, on June 24 (local time), the Greek government declared a state of emergency on Chios the previous day and urgently deployed firefighting personnel and equipment from across the country.

A wildfire on the Greek island of Chios. Firefighting helicopters are extinguishing the fire. Photo by EPA.

As of that day, 444 firefighters, 85 fire trucks, 2 firefighting aircraft, and 6 firefighting helicopters were mobilized. However, strong winds have significantly hampered progress in extinguishing the fire.

The flames are sweeping through forests and fields, rapidly spreading across the entire island. In some areas, the fire has approached residential neighborhoods, prompting hundreds of residents to evacuate urgently.

There are also concerns about damage to mastiha farms, which are a specialty of Chios. Mastiha is a natural resin harvested from mastiha trees that grow only on Chios, and it is used as a raw material for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Nikos Nychtas, the deputy governor of Chios, said in an interview with local media, "Chios has turned completely black right now," adding, "The entire mountain is burning, and helicopters are continuously dropping water from above." He emphasized, "From the evening, the wind will shift from the northeast to the northwest, increasing the risk of the fire spreading to traditional mastiha cultivation areas, so it is essential to extinguish the wildfire now."

There are also suspicions of arson related to this wildfire. A specialized investigation team has been dispatched to the scene to determine whether arson was involved. Authorities stated that "suspicious circumstances have been identified."

In Greece, wildfire damage has steadily increased over the past 20 years. In 2021, the area affected by wildfires reached 1,200 square kilometers, and in 2023, it expanded to 1,745 square kilometers, which is three times larger than the average area affected between 2011 and 2020. Experts pointed out that, due to the effects of climate change such as abnormal heat, wildfires are occurring more frequently and large-scale wildfires are also on the rise.