Plomari, Lesvos fire destroys 614 hectares of olive groves and forest
A wildfire broke out on July 29, 2024 in the Plomari area of Lesvos, Greece. Satellite analysis by the University of the Aegean’s Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems team mapped the burned zone at 614 stremmata (about 61 hectares). Roughly 80 % of the area, or 473 stremmata, consisted of olive groves, with the remainder covering pine forest and shrubland.
Local officials, including deputy mayor Nikos Karasabbas and mayor Panagiotis Christofas, reported that the fire was fully contained by midday on Thursday, July 30. No livestock losses were recorded, and the two nearby livestock farms managed to move animals to safety. The investigation into the cause is ongoing, with early testimony suggesting a possible fault in an electricity pole belonging to the national power grid operator DEDDIE.
The fire’s impact on the region’s agricultural output and forested land has prompted authorities to begin damage assessments and consider compensation for affected olive growers.
Entities: 30-year-old firefighter · Eastern Mani · Lesbos · Lesvos · Mytilene · Nikos Karasabbas · Olive groves · Panagiotis Christofas · Plomari · University of the Aegean
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Deputy mayor Nikos Karasabbas said that 80 % of the burned area were olive groves. (article 6d4e7e24)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Satellite data were used by the University of the Aegean’s research team to map the fire’s extent and intensity. (articles 6d4e7e24, d9a68081, d3b5f260)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 473 stremmata (about 80 %) of the burned area were olive groves. (articles 6d4e7e24, d9a68081, d3b5f260)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The remaining burned area consisted of pine forest and shrubland. (articles 6d4e7e24, d9a68081, d3b5f260)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The wildfire in Plomari, Lesvos started on July 29, 2024. (articles 6d4e7e24, d9a68081, d3b5f260)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Investigators are considering a possible cause of the fire to be a faulty electricity pole belonging to DEDDIE. (article 6d4e7e24)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fire was fully contained by midday on Thursday, July 30, 2024. (articles 6d4e7e24, d9a68081, d3b5f260)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fire burned a total area of 614 stremmata. (articles 6d4e7e24, d9a68081, d3b5f260)