| 2023 Greece wildfires | |
|---|---|
 Dervenochoria fire as seen from Ilion, at approximately 2 am on 18 July. These are not flames but the glare from the fire due to the camera settings. The fire is behind the mountains. | |
| Location | Attica, Central Greece, Corfu, East Macedonia and Thrace, Evia, Peloponnese, Thessaly, Rhodes and Western Greece |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 80+ |
| Burned area | 1,800 km² |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 28 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 75+ |
| Evacuated | 20,000+ |
| Structures destroyed | Hotels, residences, schools and barns. |
| Damage | €600 million (2023) |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | 2023 European heat waves Human negligence or arson (suspected) |
In July 2023, multiple wildfires started in Greece. They resulted in at least 28 deaths[1] and injured 75 people, with over 80 wildfires being recorded. Seventy-nine people were arrested for arson.[2]
High temperatures reached 41.0 °C (105.8 °F), with highs anticipated to reach 45.0 °C (113.0 °F) in Rhodes.[3] Forecasters were suggesting that the heatwave engulfing Greece was set to be the longest in its history, lasting up to 16–17 days, surpassing the 1987 heatwave. It was also expected to be the hottest July recorded in more than 50 years.[4]
Following a series of heatwaves and wildfires taking place over Europe, wildfires in Greece started on 17 July 2023. The Greek government established a Crisis Management Unit to respond to the situation. A wildfire that started on the Greek island of Rhodes on 18 July led to the evacuation of four locations, including two seaside resorts. Approximately 2,000 people, including tourists, were safely evacuated by sea, accounting for less than 10% of the island's tourist accommodations, according to the Fire Corps spokesman.[5] On 22 August, eighteen bodies were found in a forested area of northern Greece; initial reports suggested those who died may have been migrants.[6] Additionally, as days passed with more land being burned and property being destroyed more and more, civilians started complaining about the lack of strength in Greece's firefighting capabilities—something that they attribute to government mismanagement.
- ^ ertnews.gr, Συντακτική Ομάδα (25 August 2023). "Έβρος: Άλλος ένας μετανάστης νεκρός στις φλόγες κι ένας από παθολογικά αίτια – Μάχη με τις αναζωπυρώσεις". ertnews.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 29 August 2023.
- ^ Andre Rhoden-Paul (25 August 2023). "Greece wildfires: 79 people arrested for arson". BBC. Londres. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
Greece has called out "arsonist scum" after police made 79 arson arrests over wildfires ravaging the country
- ^ "Rhodes Wildfires: Situation expected to get worse in 45C heat, Authorities warn". Sky News. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ "Greece faces hottest July weekend in 50 years, forecaster says, as scores of wildfires rage". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 22 July 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ Nellas, Demetris (22 July 2023). "Greek wildfires: Thousands of tourists evacuated as wildfire rages on island of Rhodes". Nzherald. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Greece wildfires: Eighteen bodies found in Greek forest". BBC News. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.