Woman faces arson charges after her cigarette sparks Chios wildfire

Eyewitnesses reportedly corroborated the incident. The woman is expected to face trial on charges of negligence leading to unintentional arson.

A man uses a branch to battle against a large wildfire burning in Kofinas, on the eastern Aegean island of Chios, Greece. (AP Photo)

Blazes prompt mass evacuations, emergency measures

Since the fires broke out, over 400 firefighters, supported by water-dropping aircraft and hundreds of volunteers, have been deployed to contain the flames, reported The Guardian. Villages have been evacuated across Chios.

According to The Guardian, Giorgos Toumbos, president of the Chios Mastic Producers Union, told Greek daily Kathimerini that firefighting efforts were concentrated on a vital plateau to prevent the fire from reaching the historic fortified mastic villages to the south—renowned for producing the rare mastic resin.

Despite progress in containing the fires, Kozanis confirmed they are still active: “Yes, they are in recession but they have not been extinguished… They have yet to be fully contained.”

Greece, a Mediterranean hotspot vulnerable to climate change, has experienced an increasing number of wildfires due to hotter, drier summers. The current blazes coincide with the country’s first major heatwave of the season, with temperatures expected to approach 40°C in the coming days, as per The Guardian.

In response to a growing wildfire crisis, Greece has toughened penalties for arson.

(With inputs from The Guardian)