- Title:
-
People and the Mass Media During the Fire Disaster Days of 2007 in Greece
- Date:
- September 2008
- Organisations
- BCRC
- Authors:
-
Gavriil Xanthopoulos
Research presentation - Location:
- Australia, Australia
Overview
The International Bushfire Research Conference - Incorporating the 15th annual AFAC Conference.
The fire season of 2007 in Greece was the worst in recent history as it set new records in regard to damages and loss of life. A total of 78 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives. More than 270,000 hectares of vegetation burned and more than 110 villages were affected directly by the fire fronts. Hundreds of homes were totally destroyed while many others were seriously damaged. This unparalleled fire disaster made the news worldwide and left people wondering about the causes and how it happened.
This paper provides a brief overview of what happened and the circumstances that led to it. It also tries to identify the factors that contributed to it. The behaviour of the civilians and the role of the Mass Media, especially how the latter influenced the former, are among those factors and are the main focus of the paper. The conclusions will hopefully help Greece and probably other countries as well, to avoid such a tragic experience in the future.
