Is Tourism Development Behind Fires in Greece?

Fires raging in the Peloponnese (pictured) and on the island of Evia have killed more than 60 people and led to the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency in Greece. In Olympia, fires “licked the edges of the original Olympic stadium and scorched the yard of the museum, home to one of Greece’s greatest archaeological collections,” according to the BBC. Now, some are suggesting that a number of fires could have been set by arsonists “as a way of getting around Greek law which forbids development on areas designated as forest land.”

Said the head of one conservation group in Greece, “There is strong pressure for tourism, for more and more development.”

Reported the Financial Times: “Fast-growing demand for second homes, driven by north Europeans as well as Greeks, has increased pressure for development of forests, especially in the Peloponnese and near Athens.”

Police have arrested dozens of suspected arsonists.

Photo by Lotus R via Flickr, (Creative Commons).

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