In the wake of last week’s fire in eastern Attica, forest authorities yesterday fired back at critics who described them as negligent and called on the government to change the law allowing burnt forestland to be developed into prime real estate property.

The Panhellenic Union of State Foresters (PEDDY) said the government could protect woodlands by removing incentives to set them on fire and tearing down illegal houses built in forested areas.

PEDDY said changes to the law, the composition of a forest register and a reorganization of the forest protection services could have helped prevent a spate of fires in the Attica region in the last week.

Meanwhile, as the high temperatures continued to scorch the country, three more forest fires broke out in different parts of Greece yesterday.

No injuries were reported and no homes were threatened from the fires in Oropos (Attica), Tripolis (Peloponnese) and Evia (central Greece), authorities said.