Chios forest fire 2012
The forest fire of Chios 2012 ( Greek πυρκαγιά στην Χίο , pyrkagia stin Chio ) was a forest fire on the southern half of the Greek island of Chios that broke out at around 2 a.m. on August 18, 2012 .
Early on August 18th, two villages were evacuated in. The fire also threatened the army base at Vessa (Βέσσα). By the evening of August 20th, nine villages had already been evacuated and the fire was still going on.
7,000 hectares (16,000 acres) of forest and farmland were burned. 40% of the mastic bushes ( Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia ) burned and the beekeepers of Chios lost 60% of their colonies.
About 360 firefighters, soldiers and volunteers worked to get the fire under control and to put out the flames. Fire fighting planes and helicopters as well as 50 fire engines were in action . The Greek government asked for help from Spanish and Italian fire-fighting planes, as eleven other fires broke out in various places in Greece at the same time (including Mount Athos and Andros ).
The smoke could already be seen on August 18th in Crete, 100 km away.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d " News in English " at boston.com (20 Aug 2012)
- ↑ Sara Malm, " Paradise lost: Residents flee from two villages as firefighters battle to contain massive wall of flames on Greek Island " in Daily Mail (Aug. 18, 2012, updated Aug. 20, 2012)
- ↑ a b " Forest / Wild Fire in Greece on Saturday, August 18, 2012 " at RSOE EDIS
- ↑ a b c " Wildfire sweeps across Greek island of Chios " at bbc.co.uk (20 Aug 2012)