Why Greece Faces Devastating Wildfires Every Summer

Wildfires and the increasingly dangerous weather conditions that fuel them were the focus of a discussion on the Greek television program Koinonia Ora MEGA, where fire meteorologist Theodore Giannaros of the National Observatory of Athens outlined the main factors behind Greece’s recurring summer fire disasters.

According to Giannaros, the number of days with extreme fire-weather conditions has increased significantly in recent years, creating an environment in which wildfires ignite and spread much more rapidly. He said wildfires are no longer driven solely by weather events but also by the growing frequency of these hazardous fire-weather conditions.

However, he stressed that human activity remains a decisive factor. Negligence, dangerous activities in rural areas, and cases of arson create a recurring pattern that leads to dozens of wildfires every summer, complicating firefighting operations and increasing the risk to human lives and the natural environment.