© Associated Press/Icon Press
A man holding a makeshift fire broom helps to contain a major forest blaze on the Greek eastern Aegean Sea island of Chios on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and volunteers are struggling to tame a fire that has already burnt some 7,000 hectares of forest, cultivated land and groves of the island's famed mastic trees. Smoke from the blaze, which was swept on by gale-force winds, was carried as far as the southern island of Crete, more than 350 kilometers (230 miles) away
A man holding a makeshift fire broom helps to contain a major forest blaze on the Greek eastern Aegean Sea island of Chios on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. Hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and volunteers are struggling to tame a fire that has already burnt some 7,000 hectares of forest, cultivated land and groves of the island's famed mastic trees. Smoke from the blaze, which was swept on by gale-force winds, was carried as far as the southern island of Crete, more than 350 kilometers (230 miles) away
But much of the island's trademark mastic gum industry went up in scented smoke over the past week when a wildfire ravaged the world's only mastic tree plantations during the heart of the harvest season.
As firefighters on Friday put out the last flare-ups from the six-day blaze, farmers said up to a quarter of the island's mastic groves have been wiped out.
In cash terms, producers stand to lose up to €3 million ($3.75 million) a year, because after replanting, it takes up to a decade before producers can start tapping the trees for their aromatic gum.
"Imagine that a farmer who produces mastic will now lose this economic benefit ... for the next 8 years," said Giannis Stoupakis, who recently opened a local factory to produce export-quality, mastic-flavored alcoholic drinks.
With its distinctive flavor, the gum-like resin - believed to have served in ancient times as an early form of chewing gum that was prized for its medicinal properties - is only produced by trees in certain parts of southern Chios that favor the trees' slow growth. More than half the crop is exported for use in confectionery, cooking and cosmetics.
Comment: CCTV footage of the incident has been published: