2018 Attica wildfires

Date: 2018

Place: Attica Region, Greece

Result: More than one hundred dead and more than two thousand homes destroyed

Overview

Global climate change has resulted in longer, more ferocious fire seasons in many parts of the world. Climate change is largely caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which intensify heat and affect weather patterns, leading to greater extremes. These weather patterns, once altered, become entrenched for decades.

Heat waves and droughts lead to increasingly frequent wildfires. More frequent droughts stress plants; trees may be weakened, and may not have a chance to recover. Dry wood can feed flames from lightning or human failings, such as out-of-control campfires or burning cigarettes. Areas that did not have wildfires in the past, such as regions of the Arctic, have begun experiencing fires. Some regions, such as the Western United States, have moved from having fire seasons to having year-round forest fires destroying hundreds of thousands of acres and thousands of homes and buildings.

Wildfires are not uncommon in Greece during the summer. However, the country experienced particularly hot weather during the 2017 summer. This was followed by a dry winter, when far less rain fell to replenish groundwater sources. Vegetation in the pine-forested region of Attica was parched. When temperatures during the summer of 2018 soared to 104ºF (40ºC), the landscape was primed to ignite.

The Attica coastal region east of Athens was buffeted in late July 2018 by unusual westerly winds that reached up to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), with gusts up to 77 miles per hour (124 kilometers per hour). The first wildfire, possibly started by an arsonist, was reported on July 23 about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Athens. Winds drove it through the town of Kineta and forest land. It leaped the six-lane national road to Athens and swept down to the sea. Firefighters responded in force to protect a large oil refinery and the people in the area, including travelers stuck on the national road for hours.

Meanwhile, later that day, a second fire was reported 10 miles (16 kilometers) east-northeast of Athens. The strong winds whipped the flames eastward, fueling them as they consumed stands of pine and spread quickly. The wildfire became a crown fire, and treetops burst into flames as the winds propelled hot gases. Multiple fingers of fire advanced toward the coast.

Both fires tore through house after house, consuming entire towns. The Attica blazes were the second-deadliest wildfire event of the twenty-first century, the deadliest forest fire in Europe in more than a century, and the fifth-deadliest wildfire globally in a century.

Ferries and rescue boats took many people to the port town Rafina, where they suffered intense heat and ash carried on the stiff wind. Others tried to reach Athens, seeking refuge, only to find traffic on all major roads at a standstill. The traffic jams hindered rescue vehicles trying to reach the fires. Many seaside settlements and tourist areas were destroyed, and more than four thousand residents were affected. Many evacuated or were rescued from areas near Rafina.

Many people died in their homes, unable to escape the flames. Survivors had to run a gauntlet of flaming trees and navigate blocked evacuation routes, at times driving blindly through choking smoke and licking flames. Dozens ran into the sea to swim away from the flames and thick smoke; many were rescued, while others drowned. Twelve Coast Guard vessels and about 30 private vessels rescued 710 people trapped in Mati and Kokkino Limanaki and pulled dozens of survivors from the water.

More than 600 firefighters and 250 fire engines were dispatched to fight the two largest fires. All of Greece’s aircraft capable of dropping water were in the air over the region. Military units trained to prevent fires responded, and Greek officials requested assistance from European Union partners. In the first twenty-four hours, forty-seven new fires broke out, leading officials to speculate that arsonists were at work. Forty-three were extinguished quickly, while the remaining four took much longer to defeat.

Most of the victims were killed in and around Mati, a resort area, by the fire. Many others drowned in the sea when they tried to escape. The fatalities included ten people who drowned after the boat that rescued them from a hotel capsized, and twenty-six people whose bodies were found a few yards from the sea; they were grouped closely and appeared to be hugging each other when they died.

Climate experts believe the cycle of dry winters and hot, windy summers Greece experienced over 2017 and 2018 is likely to become the norm due to global climate change. In the summer of 2018, much of the Northern Hemisphere was experiencing a heatwave. Experts have suggested careful attention to forest management could be one element of preventing future wildfires. For example, letting small fires burn, but keeping them contained, removes dry, dead plant matter; putting out small fires allows this debris to accumulate, and fuel enormous fires. Forests cool local climates, and experts believe growing more trees could also help the landscape better endure droughts, fires, and heatwaves.

The large loss of life in Greece might have been prevented if local authorities had evacuation plans in place. Other measures suggested by experts include building structures with non-flammable roofing materials and siding, not building wooden decks, and growing fire-resistant vegetation close to homes.

Impact

In addition to 5.5 square miles (1,431 hectares) of scorched forest and agricultural land, more than 2,000 homes were burned and more than 1,500 were damaged. Additional lost property included cars and motorcycles, farms, and resorts.

At least 187 people, including about two dozen children, were injured. Recovery teams found eighty-three bodies. Another seventeen people were hospitalized and died soon after.

Victims reported they had little or no warning about the approaching wildfires. The speed at which the flames advanced left many of those who fled with no time to gather belongings. Local authorities had not promoted fire-evacuation plans, educated citizens, or helped homeowners prepare for fire. Many citizens panicked as the winds pummeled them with smoke and hot gases, making breathing difficult.

Many of those who fled did not get far. They were trapped in traffic jams in the narrow streets, tried to leave on foot and succumbed to smoke inhalation, or ran into the sea. Many of those who swam away from the coast drowned before they could be rescued, while those closer to shore who survived reported they suffered for hours in the heat and smoke that blew across the water.

A government-appointed independent committee investigated the causes of the increase in wildfires in Greece. The committee delivered its report in February 2019, and the following month, twenty current and former officials were charged with failing to address the problem.

Bibliography

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