00:00 So most notably in Greece's Alexandropolis region, we are facing the largest wildfire
00:06 ever recorded in the EU.
00:09 In this context, we have mobilized 12 aircraft from our rescue fleet, together with over
00:14 five, actually 400 firefighters and 60 vehicles.
00:18 Well, for more, let's go to Greece and correspond to Natalie Savarikis.
00:22 Natalie, what's the latest?
00:24 Well, to tackle this, to quote a socialist leader, this biblical catastrophe, we have
00:33 87 fires in all regions across the country today, a smaller scale than what we've seen
00:40 in the past weeks this summer, 44 new fires just in the last 24 hours.
00:45 Now, in the Alexandropolis region, more specifically, there are three main blazes raging.
00:53 Of course, what has been impressive has been the European Union mobilization, really deploying
00:59 their assets there and their relief efforts to help Greece.
01:03 Now we have, to name a few, over 400 firefighters, over 60 vehicles, one helicopter and firefighting
01:11 planes really all there from Bulgaria, France, Czech Republic, et cetera, just to help Greece
01:17 finally contain this fire that has blazed across the region in an area larger than New
01:25 York City itself.
01:27 Pretty impressive recording there for Greece and absolute criticism leveled against the
01:35 administration of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
01:38 Greece is a country that takes fire prevention seriously, yet there are arrests and accusations
01:45 of arson.
01:47 Yes.
01:49 And this has been, since 2007, this has been the largest recorded fire in Greece.
01:55 And traditionally Greeks have been treating these massive fires with a lot of skepticism
02:03 and to how much of it is actually climate change, you know, the tinderbox conditions
02:10 of dryness as well, or actually arson, because sometimes what we see following these big
02:17 blazes are constructions or who else could there be to blame?
02:24 And that is the big question.
02:25 And of course, in the criticism level against Prime Minister Mitsotakis, he's been criticized
02:31 of lack of coordination, lack of preparation, lack of personnel, lack of equipment, you
02:35 know.
02:37 He's responded, yes, on the one hand, there is climate change, which has been extreme
02:42 this year and we've been unable to deal with it.
02:46 And he's actually vowed to reforest all burned areas, which is a pretty grand statement there
02:52 coming from a Greek leader, because we haven't really seen such a massive scale of forestation
02:58 in Greece.
02:59 But also he's pointed the finger to arsonists.
03:02 And there has been a Supreme Court judge that's ordered an investigation to look into this.
03:09 Now we're very curious, of course, Greece to see what results will come back, because
03:13 the big question mark, of course, is who can benefit from such an arson, because this cannot
03:19 only be just the pyromaniacs to just set some fires.
03:24 So big question marks there that an investigation will seek to answer.
03:29 Natalie Savarikas reporting live from Athens.
03:31 Many thanks for that update.
