Weak laws, neglect behind Greek fires: Greenpeace

By Dina Kyriakidou

ATHENS (Reuters) - Weak zoning laws, careless farmers and smoldering garbage dumps are the main reasons for the forest fires that have killed 63 and destroyed whole rural economies in Greece in recent days, Greenpeace said on Monday.

The fires, fanned by strong winds, have engulfed whole villages, forcing thousands to flee their homes, and burned millions of hectares of woods and farmland dried by summer heat.

Greece has declared a state of emergency and sought help from its EU partners. The prime minister, facing parliamentary elections on September 16, indicated arsonists might have been responsible and vowed to punish them.

"There are several well known 'arsonists' in Greece -- garbage dumps (burning spontaneously), farmers burning brush, animal farmers burning land to sprout fresh grass for grazing," said Nikos Charalambides, director of Greenpeace in Greece.

"But the biggest arsonist is the state, which has not clarified the use of land, leaving suburban forests vulnerable to rogue developers," he added in an interview with Reuters.

"The lack of a national land registry and national zoning laws leave room for doubt about the characterization of land, whether it is forest or not," Charalambides said.

Many forest fires, especially those close to urban centers, are believed to be started by developers burning down woods to make way for new construction.

It is illegal in Greece to burn forests in order to build houses on the land, but the laws are vague about the definition of protected land and developers are rarely prosecuted.