Greece’s ancient fir forests face mysterious die-off despite surviving centuries of wildfires

High in Greece’s Peloponnese mountains, something alarming is happening to one of the country’s most resilient tree species. Greek firs—towering evergreens that have dominated the region’s rocky peaks for generations—are mysteriously turning brown and dying, even in areas untouched by wildfire.

These ancient conifers have earned a reputation as survivors. For centuries, they’ve weathered droughts, insect infestations, and the periodic wildfires that naturally sweep through Mediterranean landscapes. Their deep green canopies have been a defining feature of southern Greece’s high-altitude forests, growing slowly but steadily in some of the harshest mountain conditions.

When forest researcher Dimitrios Avtzis from Greece’s Forest Research Institute was sent to survey fire damage from a recent spring blaze, he expected to find the usual pattern: some trees killed by flames, others scarred but surviving. Instead, he discovered something far more troubling—healthy-looking firs were dying in areas where fire had never reached.

The widespread tree mortality has experts sounding the alarm about a complex environmental crisis that goes beyond the immediate threat of wildfires. While the full scope of what’s killing these hardy trees remains under investigation, the phenomenon represents a potentially devastating blow to Greece’s mountain ecosystems. These forests don’t just provide habitat for wildlife—they also play crucial roles in preventing soil erosion, regulating water flow, and storing carbon in an increasingly unstable climate.