Greek debt crisis still haunts efforts to contain growing wildfire threat

A small team of forestry scouts now patrols Mount Penteli at dusk — a striking sign of how wildfire risk has become part of daily life around Athens.
Decades of repeated blazes have left hills like Penteli largely treeless and prone to erosion and floods, so the government is replanting and asking residents to clear flammable debris.
The forestry service was halved since 2000 but has added staff and benefitted from EU-funded firefighters, drones and equipment — officials say it will take years to close the gap.