Thassos island fire burned ca. 277 hectares
The fire that broke out on August 10 in Lefki, on the northern Greek island of Thassos, has burned nearly 277 hectares (2,770 stremmas), most of them lying in the protected areas of the NATURA 2000 network, the National Observatory's BEYOND center said in an assessment on Friday.
BEYOND, the observatory's Center of EO Research & Satellite Remote Sensing, said its assessment also found that 267 hectares (2,670 stremmas) belong to the Europe-wide NATURA network. Data provided by the satellite-based European program Copernicus EU showed that the destroyed areas consisted of 84% forestland and 16% scrubland.
BEYOND develops research and provides disaster management services for Southeast Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans. It was started through EU regional funds to generate entrepreneurial-orientation (EO) research infrastructure for the region, and is self-sustained.
Man charged with starting large fire on Thassos is detained after testimony
A 65-year-old male charged with arson over the large forest fire in the Skala Potamias area of Thassos island was ordered detained after testifying before an investigating magistrate and a prosecutor in Kavala, northern Greece.
Asked by journalists why he lit the fire, he said "I started it so I could laugh" and added right after, "I will admit (the name of) the person I killed or, rather, will kill." He is expected to be transferred to the detention center of Komotini.
