Greece to compensate fire-stricken households near Athens

Greece said on Tuesday it would offer emergency compensation totalling millions of euros to hundreds of households and businesses affected by a blaze that killed one woman and torched 10,000 hectares near Athens.

The blaze began on August 11 near the town of Varnavas, 35 km (22 miles) from the capital, and within a day reached the city’s northern suburbs on the slopes of Mount Penteli, one of the last forests near Athens.

Inspections so far have identified some 146 houses severely damaged, with 31 businesses also affected.

Authorities will offer up to €150,000 ($166,650) to households, 80 per cent in government aid and 20 per cent in interest-free loans and up to €500,000 to destroyed businesses, the finance ministry said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear how much the state had budgeted for compensation, but a government official told Reuters that the amount would exceed €30 million, including €5.2 million of extra subsidies to affected municipalities.

Wildfires have been a common feature of Greek summers for years, but climate change has brought hotter weather and less rain, heightening the risk. The country registered more than 8,000 forest fires in 2023.

The Greek prime minister’s office said it will announce a detailed fire protection and reforestation plan for the wider Attica region by the end of September.