Greek Officials Defend Wildfire Response

Firefighters in Greece continue to battle wildfires as officials defend their response amid unusually high temperatures and dry conditions. 

“We handled an operationally unique situation, with 586 fires in eight days during the worst weather conditions we’ve seen in 40 years,” Greece’s civil protection chief Nikos Hardalias said at a Tuesday news conference. “Never was there such a combination of adverse factors in the history of the fire service.”  The government has pledged $586 million in aid to help those affected by the fires, including a massive blaze on Evia island that has been burning for more than a week. More than 900 firefighters have been working to bring the Evia fire under control.  Wildfires in Greece are part of a wave of fires in many countries in Europe and across the Mediterranean in Algeria.