Greece: Mount Parnitha Forest Fire Stuns Athenians

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | July 19th, 2007 | Trackback

Athenians are enraged by the government’s inability to prevent or control a five-day forest fire that destroyed 11,000 acres of dense forest on Mount Parnitha 12 miles northwest of the city. The Parnitha forest is a nature preserve with E.U. protection, the largest forest near Athens and a magnet for thousands of tourists every year. It also provides a vital balance for the heat generated by the city, with one meteorology professor calling its loss the equivalent of doubling the number of cars in Athens. Thousands of Athenians offered to help conservation groups restore the forest. Lack of coordination between government agencies delayed the fire-fighting effort and contributed to the damage. Other major fires destroyed large forest tracts on the islands of Lesvos and Skiathos.

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