Minister says Preveli’s palm forest survived Rethymnon wildfire almost intact

Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, said the unique palm forest of Preveli was saved almost entirely intact from a recent wildfire in southern Rethymnon, with only a small fraction of the area affected.

According to the minister, the fire broke out days earlier in southern Rethymnon and directly threatened the palm forest. He said coordinated firefighting operations prevented major damage, with only about 3.5 acres affected out of a total area of roughly 30 acres.

Papastavrou credited the outcome to the effectiveness of coordinated firefighting efforts and prevention works carried out in previous years.