There is no longer an active front, only scattered outbreaks, but Greek firefighters remain mobilized on Wednesday in the fight against the forest fire that has ravaged the suburbs of Athens since Sunday, killing a woman, causing significant damage and displacing thousands of people.
“The fire is no longer as intense as it was in recent days, but there are still a few outbreaks that could cause the fires to flare up again,” a firefighter spokesperson told AFP.
“Around 530 firefighters remain mobilized on the ground with 145 vehicles and we have received help from our European colleagues, but they have not yet been deployed on the ground in Attica,” he added.
Nearly 300 firefighters, as well as other helicopters, fire engines and tankers, were sent to Greece from six countries (France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Turkey), especially after Greece activated the European Union’s civil protection mechanism.
Fueled by strong winds, Greece’s worst wildfire of the year has spread since Sunday across parched territory and ravaged 10,000 hectares, destroying countless buildings and vehicles. About 100 houses have suffered significant damage, according to the civil protection.
According to the website meteo.gr, 37% of Attica’s forests have burned in the last eight years.
Faulty electricity pole
The fire started on Sunday afternoon near the historic town of Marathon, 40 km northeast of Athens, which has more than 7,000 inhabitants and which had to be evacuated.
Dozens of evacuation orders have been sent to residents in the area. Several stadiums have been opened to accommodate the displaced.
On Tuesday morning, the body of a Moldovan woman in her sixties was found at her workplace in a burnt-out factory in Halandri, near Athens, according to authorities.
Investigators have combed the area where the fire started in the town of Varnavas and, according to the centre-right newspaper Kathimerini, the trail appears to lead to a faulty electricity pole.
In terms of financial aid, 4.7 million euros (7.1 million CAD) are planned for the eight affected municipalities.
Households affected by the fire will receive 600 euros (about CA$900) to cover their basic needs and 6,000 euros to repair or replace their household appliances. Finally, 4,500 euros are provided for people who have suffered a disability following an injury during the natural disaster.
A monthly allowance of 300 to 500 euros (CA$450 to CA$750) is also provided for people who have been forced to leave their homes and need to be temporarily rehoused.
From year to year
But anger is brewing in the country, which is hit almost every summer by destructive fires and remains unprepared.
After an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “We are doing our best to improve every year, but unfortunately the conditions are becoming more difficult.”
“Understaffed, with a lack of equipment, and totally ineffective coordination, this is the Civil Protection that Mr. Mitsotakis is proud of, unlike all citizens who love their homeland,” reacted the leader of the left-wing opposition Syriza, Stefanos Kasselakis.
The president of the Socialist Party, Nikos Androulakis, also considered that “many things must change immediately in the plans for civil protection and forest protection, with a more active role for the forest service and the use of seasonal firefighters in prevention even during the winter months.”
Visiting a military base on Wednesday where the firefighters’ planes are stationed, the Prime Minister thanked the pilots for their dedication and “the great work done” in recent days.
“We have done what we can to have new planes as quickly as possible,” noted Mr. Mistotakis, who recalled that he had ordered seven new Canadairs but that they will not be delivered until 2027. “The solution will not come only from the air, we need essential work in prevention,” he also admitted.
On Tuesday evening, around 200 people demonstrated in front of parliament to denounce the government’s “crime”.
The risk of fire remains very high for Wednesday, particularly in northern Greece, firefighters have warned.
Greece is particularly vulnerable to wildfires after a very dry winter. June and July were the hottest months since records began in 1960.