19 March 2008 | Flammable forests and droughts spell another summer of massive fires of Greece, national media reported recently.

It is expected that fires of a new, destructive kind will flare up, caused by the drought, combined with the lack of soil humidity and climate change.

Experts, forecasting the damage of thousands of square kilometres of land, told the Greek daily Ta Nea that putting out these fires will be extremely difficult and that it is expected they will rage for a long time.

Last year, Greece suffered enormous damages from massive forests fires, in the worst fire season recorded for more than half a century. Over 3,000 fires raged across the country between June and September of 2007. More than 80 people lost their lives and a total of 2,700 square kilometres of forests and farmland and around 2,000 buildings were destroyed.

While the extremely hot temperatures and the drought reportedly caused some of the fires, others were believed to be started on purpose, as a way to circumvent a Greek law that bans property development on forest areas.

As a result, many people were detained on accusations of arson and the Greek government pledged to replant all the burnt forests and protect them from property development.

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