Total of 470,000 acres of forest land burned in Greece in 2nd half of July

By Derya Gulnaz Ozcan

ATHENS (AA) – A total of 470,000 acres (190,202 hectares) of forest land was burned in Greece in the second half of July.

According to a statement from the Greek Meteorological Service, besides the record-high temperatures seen in July, the low humidity in the atmosphere also fueled the forest fires.

During the period of July 15 to July 31, seven major forest fires occurred in Kerkira Island, Aigio, Dervenoxoria, Kuvara, Karistos, Nea Aghialos, and Rhodes Island, turning 470,000 acres of forest land into ashes.

Since the beginning of the year, the total forest area burned in Greece has reached 550,000 acres (222,577 hectares).

An average of around 435,000 acres (176,038 hectares) of forest land is burned annually in the country.