Gale-Driven Wildfires Ravage Greece: A Growing Climate Crisis

A lethal wildfire struck just outside Athens, claiming a life and wreaking havoc on homes and farmlands on Friday. Greek firefighters are grappling to control multiple fires, exacerbated by forecasts of extended gale-force winds. In response, 11 planes, 12 helicopters, and 170 firefighters have been dispatched to Keratea, 30 kilometers from the capital, urging residents to evacuate.

The area is parched, having received little rainfall for months, while gusts reaching 80 kilometers per hour are spreading the fire, devastating olive tree orchards. Local media show homes ablaze, and firefighters uncovered the body of an elderly man in a charred building, according to Vassilis Vathrakogiannis of the Greek Fire Brigade.

High winds are forecast to persist and have compounded efforts to contain other fires, including one on the tourist island of Kefalonia. Greece is part of a Mediterranean region identified by scientists as a "wildfire hotspot," with incidents escalating in destructiveness due to climate change. This crisis underscores a growing need for a strategic response.

(With inputs from agencies.)