2018 Attica Wildfires: The Intersection of Governance Failures and Climate Change

Abstract

The 2018 wildfires in Attica were the second-worst fire disaster of the 21stcentury. While this tragedy is another example of the effects of climate change, news headlines published as recently as 2020 yield inconsistencies in the actions of fire management services and both local and national leadership. Many questions regarding the wildfires remain unanswered. Here we explore the intersection of anthropogenic climate change with the governance failures that culminated in the deadliest fire disaster Greece has seen in recent history.