WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Oct. 12, the USDA Forest Service sent a seven-person Burned Area Emergency Response team to Greece at the request of the U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. The BAER team is providing technical assistance to the government of Greece in the midst of a severe fire year. The team is currently working on Evia Island to address the threats from post-fire conditions.

Record-high temperatures and abnormally dry weather contributed to extreme wildfire activity in the eastern Mediterranean, including in Albania, Algeria, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia and Turkey. Hundreds of wildfires burned in southern and western Greece beginning in late July; the European Forest Fire Information System reports that fires burned over 129,000 hectares (319,000 acres) this year, more than six times the yearly average. Wildfires have destroyed 300 homes, led to thousands of residents evacuated and killed at least two people in the country.

The Forest Service BAER team has arrived in Greece at a critical moment, as recently burned areas are beginning to pose hazards to people and communities. The team recently traveled to the northern region of Evia Island, which is experiencing mudslides following an August wildfire. The team began their post-fire rehabilitation assessment and analysis on the island over the weekend, and plan to visit other burned areas in the regions of Attica and Ancient Olympia before returning to Athens prior to departure.

"We are excited to be here sharing our knowledge of post-fire assessment processes with the government of Greece to strengthen their wildfire response,” said BAER team member Shauna Jensen, San Juan National Forest. “We are completing soil burn severity assessments, which will provide important information to local teams for prioritizing burned-area mitigation efforts."

Through the Disaster Assistance Support Program, the Forest Service deploys personnel in support of USAID/BHA to help countries around the world respond to natural disasters and other crises. The DASP provides critical support to countries in moments of need and equips Forest Service participants with valuable experience managing projects in disaster areas.

Members of the seven-person BAER team come from across the agency. The seven-person team is Cara Farr, national BAER Program leader, Washington Office; David Callery, deputy national BAER Program leader, Washington Office; Shauna Jensen, hydrologist, San Juan National Forest; Micah Kiesow, hydrologist, Santa Fe National Forest; Lynne Chastain-Carpenter, Geologic Hazards program manager, Washington Office; Fay Dearing, GIS analyst, Southwestern Region; and Scott Dehnisch, international teams coordination, Washington Office.