Fireworks fired from a yacht in Greece started a forest fire on the island of Hydra on Friday, the local fire department said.
The fire, now under control and burning the only pine forest on the tourist island, required a helicopter to extinguish the fire, authorities wrote on Twitter. Facebook.
The cause of the fires has sparked outrage in Greece, which is already battling multiple wildfires and is being hit by its first heatwave of the year.
“We are angry that some people threw fireworks into the pine forest so irresponsibly,” Giorgos Koukoudakis, the mayor of Hydra, told Greek broadcaster ERT.
He added that the city would seek legal action against those on the yacht.
Greece has been on high alert for wildfires since Tuesday, with authorities bracing for a difficult summer as dryness, strong winds and high temperatures are set to persist.
On Friday, a 55-year-old volunteer firefighter Death from injuries He battled fires in the southern Ilea region of the Peloponnese.
Summer wildfires are common in Greece, and scientists have linked the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves to climate change.
But the country also has a problem with arsonists – 79 people were arrested in connection with deadly wildfires last August.
Earlier this year, Greece introduced tougher arson laws, with arsonists now facing up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to €200,000 (£169,000; $213,850).
