Summer bush fires have destroyed thousands of acres of pristine forests and farmland all over the country including many hectares of mastic trees on the island of Chios. The fire started in the Aghios Markos area on Saturday, and was apparently under partial control on the southern part of the island on Sunday morning, but then went out of control in the areas of Armolia, the historical village of Pyrgi and Kalamoti. Firemen were fighting a series of blazes in other parts of the country, including fires in Agrinio, on the islands of Zakynthos, Andros, Crete and Salamina, as well as in the areas of Laconia in the Peloponnese.
