Greece Wildfire Becomes Largest in EU History

Greece Wildfire, Becomes Largest in EU History.

'The Guardian' reports that a wildfire in Greece has become the largest ever recorded in the European Union.

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According to a European Commission spokesperson, the EU is preparing to mobilize almost half of its firefighting air wing to combat the blaze.

Spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said on August 29 that 11 planes, a helicopter and an additional 407 firefighters had been sent to help fight fires north of Alexandroupoli.

According to the EU's civil protection service, the fire has already burned an area over 310 square miles.

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This wildfire is the largest in the EU since 2000, when the European Forest Fire Information System (Effis) began recording data, European Union civil protection service, via 'The Guardian'.

'The Guardian' reports that the fire continues to burn "out of control" in Dadia national park, a vital sanctuary for birds of prey, according to Greece's fire service.

Since the fire broke out on August 19, it has killed at least 20 people.

18 of them were reportedly migrants whose remains were found near an entry point from Turkey.

We do know that fires are getting more severe, Balazs Ujvari, European Commission spokesperson, via 'The Guardian'.

If you look at the figures every year in the past years, we are seeing trends which are not necessarily favorable, and that calls for of course more capacities at the member states’ level, Balazs Ujvari, European Commission spokesperson, via 'The Guardian'.

'The Guardian' reports that Greece has faced numerous major fires this year, which have widely been attributed to the ongoing climate crisis.