The country of Greece has arrested 79 people as fires pop up all over the country.
Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kiklias reported that there have been several attempts by arsonists to start new fires near the northwest area of Athens on Mount Parnitha.
“You are committing a crime against the country,” Mr Kikilias said.
“Arsonist scum are setting fires that threaten forests, property and, most of all, human lives,” Mr Kikilias told Greeks during a televised emergency briefing on Thursday.
“You will not get away with it, we will find you, you will be held accountable.”
Catch this next phrase in the BBC report.
From the BBC:
Summer wildfires are common in Greece and scientists have linked the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, to climate change.
Stefan Doerr, who directs the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University, says that more flammable landscapes – due to hot weather or poor vegetation management – mean that arson and other incidents can more easily turn into fast-moving wildfires.
Climate activists claim the fires in Europe are because of climate change, despite arsonists starting them. But now the BBC report claims that because of climate change, arsonists have an easier time setting fires.
Does anyone want to investigate who these arsonists are?
So far, 19 people have died in the blazes, and the fires set around Mount Parnitha threaten the capitol and a national park.
In Italy, police were grateful when a drone operator captured a thermal disturbance and discovered a man attempting to set a fire.
From CBS News:
Police in southern Italy believe they’ve captured a serial arsonist thanks to an unexpected hero — a drone. Since early July, the Calabria region has been besieged by a series of devastating wildfires.
A breakthrough came after local law enforcement decided to enlist the help of a high-resolution camera drone with thermal imaging capabilities. According to police, the drone detected a thermal anomaly — a figure fleeing a nascent fire on a motorcycle through a remote field.
The suspect can be seen throwing stones at the drone in a clip of the drone video released by police.
The drone operator tracked the man to an isolated farmhouse, where local law enforcement apprehended the 47-year-old local resident. Police said he has a history of petty crimes.
His purported actions were lampooned by the regional governor.
Here is another quote from CBS News:
“Wildfires have raged throughout the Mediterranean region this summer, sometimes due to arson, but often fueled by record-high temperatures and strong winds.”
Ok so, I’ll give the fires spreading because of record dry conditions if someone will investigate why so many people are setting wildfires.
