Drought and forest fires: Extreme weather conditions increase the risk of fire.

Drought and forest fires are two of the most serious environmental phenomena facing modern society. Prolonged drought can lead to more flammable forests, increasing the risk of catastrophic fires, such as those that took place in the summer of 2021 in Greece, with the North Evia fire being the most significant. These devastating fires affect biodiversity, air quality and human life, and their causes can vary from natural causes to anthropogenic factors such as agricultural abandonment. Coping with forest fires requires coordinated action and preventive measures, such as forest management, strengthening firefighting mechanisms and educating the public on prevention practices. In addition, climate change requires the adoption of long-term strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to new climate conditions. The European Union, for example, has taken steps to increase efforts to combat climate change, as stated in the adopted texts of September 2022.
Forest fires can be caused by a variety of factors, both natural and man-made. Natural causes include lightning and drought, which can make vegetation highly flammable. On the other hand, anthropogenic causes are more common and include negligence, such as burning dry grasses, discarding lighted cigarettes, lighting fires in forested areas, and littering. In addition, the abandonment of agriculture and the reduction of animal husbandry result in the accumulation of dry biomass, which can enhance the spread of fire. Preventing and dealing with forest fires requires constant vigilance and the adoption of preventive measures, such as good forest management and public education in prevention practices. Climate change also requires strengthening protection measures and adapting strategies to deal with increased fire risks. The cooperation of authorities, citizens and experts is crucial to prevent and limit the effects of these catastrophic phenomena.