THESSALONIKI – The first step toward creating a “fire-retardant” zone to protect Thessaloniki’s Sheikh Sou forest, on the outskirts of the city suburbs, was taken on Sunday with the planting of 1,500 flame resistant rosemary, acacia and oleander shrubs on the side of a road that skirts the city, passing through the trees.

The planting was organised by the Central Macedonia region and covered more than a kilometre of the road, from the Philippou junction to Philyro.

“We are creating a fire-resistant fence, a zone to check fires, aiming to slow the spread of a fire that might start in the suburban forest of Thessaloniki. It is the first in a series of actions by the Central Macedonia Region for fire protection in Sheikh Sou,” said Central Macedonia governor Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

According to the deputy governor, Voula Patoulidou, more planting will follow on the next stretch of the road up to the Triandria junction, as all these points were suggested by the fire brigade as being most at risk for a fire starting.