Controlled burning in Greece can help avoid wildfires: WWF

The organisation said at a press conference that it had completed a two-year experiment on the island of Chios, which is habitually threatened by summer fire, and found that "prescribed burning" had a range of benefits including increased biodiversity.

With permission from the Greek environment ministry, WWF worked with forest specialists, volunteers and local officials to set prescribed fires in nine island locations between February 2022 and March this year.

"The first results show that vegetation growth is not adversely affected," said Evi Korakaki, a researcher at the state institute of Mediterranean forest ecosystems.

She added that the controlled fires actually increased biodiversity and enriched the soil.

Supporters argue that by ridding an area of dead leaves or dry vegetation, prescribed burning can reduce combustible material and help prevent destructive wildfires later on.

Based on the findings, WWF forest fires action coordinator Elias Tziritis said the group had prepared draft legislation on prescribed burning for the government to consider.

Tziritis said Greece was overly focused on combating fires and more attention was needed on fire prevention.

"Prescribed burning has been carried out in the rest of Europe for 20-30 years," he said.

He noted that the practice was already in place in Portugal, the south of France, the Spanish region of Catalonia and Sweden.

"We need new solutions," Tziritis said.

Greece every summer suffers wildfire waves that are increasing in intensity.

In 2021, a heatwave and wildfires destroyed 103,000 hectares (255,000 acres) and claimed three lives.

"The climate crisis is here... and it tells us that everything must change," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the time.