Why local communities could hold the key to Greece’s wildfire epidemic

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🗞️ Driving the news: Elias Tziritis, WWF Greece's coordinator for forest fires, highlights the inadequacies in Greece's wildfire response, exacerbated by longer and more intense fire seasons
• He criticizes the government's lack of preventive measures despite recent severe fires

🔭 The context: Greece's fire season, now extending from April to November, has been intensified by climate change, leading to mega-fires and significant destruction
• Recent wildfires have exposed a "dire" shortage in firefighting resources and prevention strategies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The expanding wildfire seasons not only threaten biodiversity and ecosystems but also pose severe risks to human life and property
• Effective management and preventive measures are crucial for mitigating these impacts

⏭️ What's next: Tziritis urges for a comprehensive approach, combining firefighting resources with community engagement and prevention strategies, to address the root causes and consequences of wildfires in Greece

💬 One quote: "This is not the solution... They bring new doctors, bring more firefighters, but they don't work in the communities," said Elias Tziritis

📈 One stat: Over 73,000 hectares were burned in the Alexandroupolis fire in 2023

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