State of Emergency Declared on Greek Island of Zante amid Massive Wildfires

“It’s arson according to an organized plan… There is no doubt about it” — Justice Minister

State of emergency was declared after more than a dozen blazes had raged on the popular tourist island of Zante, also known as Zakynthos, for four days.

“It’s arson according to an organized plan […] There is no doubt about it,” said the Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis, who is  the member of parliament for Zakynthos.

Elsewhere, a massive wildfire near Athens has also been burning for several days, consuming thousands of hectares of brush in steep terrain.

The blaze started in Kalamos, a coastal town about some 45 km NE of the capital, and rapidly spread to three other towns, destroying or damaging dozens of homes and prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency in the area.