Neos Kosmos talked to Greek Australians from Chios to get some updates on the fire ravaging the island.
One local with family in Chios, editor of Neos Kosmos Sotiris Hatzimanolis, said that the locals on Chios are “frustrated and in shock as wildfires continue to burn for a fourth consecutive day around the main town”.
“Although no injuries have been reported, and people are now prepared – 15 villages were evacuated as a precaution.
“While damage to homes has been limited, not all residents have returned,” Hatzimanolis said.
He added that “Electricity outages have compounded the crisis, with the island’s desalination systems failing due to the fire—leaving communities without water”.
There is growing concern over the damage to the island’s mastic trees, a pillar of the local economy. Chios is world-renowned for producing mastiha, a resin used in wine, food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Other Chiots living in Australia, including around 150 originally from the village of St George Sykousis, are monitoring the situation and have expressed concern “over the lack of adequate response from both local and national governments”.
Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Yannis Kefalogiannis visited Chios amid five separate wildfires. He warned that the simultaneous fires in different parts of the island suggest possible organised criminal activity and are unlikely to be accidental. Locals have also voiced suspicions that the fire may have been deliberately lit, though no official confirmation has been provided.
Also read: Australian firefighters join Greece’s battle against wildfires on the Chios frontline
