ATHENS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- WWF Hellas released on Monday latest figures on reforestation efforts of Greece, 10 years after a devastating wildfire scorched about 38,000 acres of forested land at Parnitha's mountain national park, the so-called "lungs" of Athens.
It also urged for vigilance to avoid similar disasters in the future.
According to a WWF Hellas press release, one tenth of the scorched land has recovered through reforestation programs with the participation of more than 2,500 volunteers.
So far 4 million euros (4.47 million U.S. dollars) have been invested in this reforestation campaign and an extra 10 million euros in works to prevent flooding, while efforts to give Parnitha mountain a new breath of life and hope continue, WWF Hellas stressed.
On June 28, 2007, a major wildfire broke out at Parnitha during a heat wave. The front spread across 15 kilometers over the next days, scorching about 38,000 acres of forested land in one of the worst wildfires in Attica district in a decade.
By the end of the summer of 2007 Greece suffered from 3,000 wildfires which caused major destructions nationwide and the deaths of at least 80 people, making it one of the worst years in terms of wildfire. Many like in the case of Parnitha's national forest, were attributed to arson.
Parnitha became a symbol of the tragedy as the extent of destruction shocked Greeks.
