Heroism and paranoia in Greece's firefight

The fire service, aided by locals, fought admirably. But the government needs to address racist paranoia and the battle plans of future firefights

Hillsides northeast of Alexandrpoupolis, near Palagia.

I’ve just come back from covering the fires in Western Thrace for Al Jazeera, and people are asking me what it was like. I have a few different answers.

Regarding the fires themselves, I was reminded of the terrifying speed with which they can move. Outside the village of Koila, about 30km northeast of Alexandroupolis, firefighters set up a defensive line on a wooded ridge, on the understanding, perhaps, that a fire is more easily fought on high, narrow ground. It can climb up one side of the mountain, but less easily climb down the other.

The moment when the fire took the hill near Koila, forcing the fire service to retreat.