The government pledged Thursday to formally declare wildfire-ravaged western Attica as an area for reforestation, and to quickly press ahead with work to prevent soil erosion and flooding in burnt former forest land.
Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou told a press conference that while the blaze that broke out last week in southeastern Viotia and spread to Attica burnt within an area of 11,300 hectares, not all that land was destroyed by the flames.
He said the area will be fully mapped to allow precise comprehension of the damage and the potential secondary impact through soil erosion and flooding following the autumn and winter rains.
Areas found to be at a high risk will see anti-erosion and flooding work start by September 15, Papastavrou said, with a view to completion by the end of the year. The formal declaration of the region as due for reforestation will come within the next month, he added.
The blaze destroyed thousands of hectares of largely forest land and burnt dozens of homes, mostly in the seaside resort of Porto Germeno that had been surrounded by dense pine forests. Two people died when two water-dropping helicopters participating in the firefighting effort collided on Sunday.
