In a cafe in the hilltop town of Varnavas, north of the capital, he tells me, “We don’t have the resources to beat those conditions.
On Sunday, a wildfire broke out in this area, engulfing homes, farms, and forests and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
The cause is being investigated. On the hills that surround Varnavas, dark gray ash covers the ground, and pine trees have taken on the appearance of used matchsticks.
Georgia, George’s partner, is also at the bar, where the terrible events of the week that resulted in the death of one woman inevitably dominate local conversation.
As Georgia’s two-year-old daughter chats away at her feet, she says, “I think the future for us and our children is not very good.”
People living through Greece’s drought and record-high temperatures are experiencing anxiety day after day.
Even for Greece, that is unusual for us. We love summer dislike that,” says Georgia.
In this part of East Attica, summer wildfires do happen, and the combination of hot temperatures, strong winds, and flammable pine trees can be deadly.
To deter arson and reckless behavior, severe penalties have been enacted. Even if you didn’t intend to, starting a forest or wildfire is a criminal offense.
In addition, barbecues and outdoor fires are outlawed in most areas every year from May to October. The United Nations’ climate body claims that climate change is increasing the likelihood of wildfires spreading.
The duration, intensity, and frequency of heatwaves have increased.
The world has previously warmed by around 1.1C since the modern time started and temperatures will continue to rise except if state run administrations all over the planet make steep slices to outflows.
“We’re doing all that to obliterate our planet,” says Georgia, who accepts people should get a sense of ownership with how they act.
Despite the numerous fires, she will never leave her home in East Attica.
She adds, “Where to go?” to her statement, “We don’t have that choice.” given that this fire reached the largest city in Greece.
Eleni Myrivili, the global chief heat officer of the United Nations and a Greek, has once again questioned the wisdom of Athens’ sprawling urban expansion into hills and forests.
During a visit to the island of Lesbos, she stated, “We have created cities that might not be exactly in the right place and in the right type.”
“When I was a kid, I remember… the mountains facing the capital were green,” says Alex Krokidas, who works for the non-governmental organization Thalpos. In the wake of these fires, Thalpos has been providing mental health support to people in towns like Varnavas.
He cautions that inhabitants will be living with the mental ramifications for quite a while.
He asserts, “When it comes to trauma, there are always delayed reactions.”
It can strike months later, and some people are now anxious. They will experience flashbacks once the situation calms down.
Many of the people I’ve spoken with here believe that more must be done to prevent and contain these disastrous fires, whether through local mitigation measures or global action. Mr. Krokidas laments what he sees as a culture of “short-termism” on the issue of climate change and foresees a continued and disastrous loss of forest in East Attica.
However, when you inquire as to what those measures ought to be, you frequently receive a helpless shrug and the hopeful thought that experts who have a deeper understanding of these intricate issues may have better answers.
The Greek specialists have been guarding their treatment of this new blast as a quick response even with “outrageous” and “outlandish” conditions.
While acknowledging that “important work” remains to be done on prevention, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis claims contracts have been signed for the eventual delivery of new Canadair water bombers to fight fires.
“We need to realize that this is a comprehensive effort at a time when we are all experiencing a significant climate crisis.
