Overview

• Multiple fire fronts that began on June 22 have torn through forest and agricultural land, prompting evacuation orders for dozens of villages and a migrant reception centre
• Some 444 firefighters supported by eight aircraft and dozens of vehicles are battling the blazes across northern, southern and central sectors of the island
• Officials declared the state of emergency on Monday to fast-track additional crews and resources after strong northerly winds complicated containment efforts
• Climate Crisis Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said simultaneous ignition points in geographically unconnected areas have led investigators to pursue an arson inquiry
• Crews are prioritising protection of Chios’s mastic tree plantations, a vital local industry threatened by increasingly severe wildfire seasons driven by climate change