People continue to launch fireworks near highly flammable areas year after year — with disastrous results. And now, one group of firework-happy individuals on a private yacht in Greece are learning their lesson the hard way.
In June, 13 crew and seven passengers on a privately chartered yacht set off unauthorized fireworks from their ship. As far as officials can tell, the pyrotechnics then sparked a major forest fire on the island of Hydra, according to CNN.
"We are outraged," Hydra Mayor George Koukoudakis said on state TV, per CNN. "If it's true, it is something that really saddens me."
The Maritime Executive reported that the fire burned through 3,000 acres of pine forest, requiring six aircraft and two firefighting teams during a time when the teams were already needed elsewhere. Greece had issued an extreme fire risk warning and a burn ban, which the passengers and crew ignored.
After another ship reported seeing the fireworks launch from the yacht, authorities met the passengers and crew at an Athens marina. There, they arrested the 13 crew members; however, all of the passengers quietly returned home the following morning, per the Maritime Executive.
Reckless deployment of fireworks is frustratingly common, even though the fire risk is well-documented. Each year in the U.S., nearly twice as many wildfires are reported on July 4 as on any other day, PBS reports.
And fireworks aren't the only threat — wildfires have been sparked by everything from illegal camping fires to gender reveal parties. Worse, these human-created fires burn more than twice as fast as naturally occurring wildfires, according to research by the American Geophysical Union, as reported by Science.org.
Wildfires — and their corresponding intense temperatures, air pollution, and lingering destruction — have also been linked to negative health impacts. These include decreased mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, higher risks of heart and lung issues, threats to biodiversity, and more.
If the Greek yacht's crewmembers are convicted of arson, the Maritime Executive reports, they "could face serious penalties, including as much as 20 years of prison time." Hopefully their case deters the next group of would-be firestarters, and encourages a pyrotechnic-free vacation instead.
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