Nikos Hardalias stated that authorities did “truly do what was humanly feasible” to stop blazes that decimated tens, of thousands (acres) forest and hundreds more homes. He also said that a volunteer firefighter was killed and more than 60,000 people were forced to flee. Two other firefighters were also in intensive care for severe burns.
Hardalias stated that the situation was unique in its operational aspects, as 586 fires were started in just eight days in severe weather conditions. “Never before in fire service history was such a mixture of adverse factors.”
Greece just suffered its worst heat wave in over a decade, leaving its forests dry and bare. Other nearby nations such as Turkey and Italy also faced the same searing temperatures and quickly spreading fires.
Both climate change and worsening drought have fueled wildfires in the U.S. West as well as Siberia, northern Russia.
Scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving extreme events. Although it is impossible to directly link one event to climate change, intensive data analysis can help researchers to identify more frequent calamities.
The worst fire in Greece was still burning Tuesday morning on the northern portion of Evia. This is the second-largest island in Greece and is a popular holiday destination for residents of Athens.
The fire service reported that nearly 900 firefighters, 50 ground units and more than 200 vehicles responded to the Aug. 3 fire. These crews included personnel from Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovakia and Cyprus — all part of an international response to Greece’s request for help.
On Tuesday, fourteen helicopters offered air support to Evia. Two from Switzerland, two from Serbia and two from Egypt were involved. Evia’s wildfire was unusually large for an area where villages and forests are intertwined.
Hardalias stated that all fire fronts on Evia were decreasing, but firefighters were still protecting the area of the fire, especially around the cluster of villages which were among the many evacuated from the island in recent days. Heavy smoke from the fires often reduces visibility to zero making it unsafe for ground forces to use water-dropping aircraft.
Evia has suffered the most severe damage due to the recent fires in Greece, with more than 49,000 hectares (111,000 acres) of wildfire damage according to satellite imagery and EU data.
There were several other wildfires burning throughout the country. The largest was in the southern Peloponnese, where new evacuations were ordered Tuesday morning. With the help of five helicopters, 23 water-dropping aircrafts, and around 400 firefighters from Britain and the Czech Republic, they battled this blaze.
An investigation by the courts is underway into the causes of the fires and any criminal links. A number of arson suspects were arrested.
Hardalias stated that he didn’t know if there was an organized arson plan. Hardalias said that he had a “feeling” that arson was responsible for the fires that broke out near ancient Olympia.
A woman who was convicted of deliberately starting a fire at an Athens park last Wednesday was also sentenced Tuesday to five years imprisonment.
Local officials and residents of Evia complained about the lack of water-dropping aircrafts in the initial stages. They claim this left the fire to grow to dangerous proportions.
Hardalias claimed that authorities faced other huge challenges when the Evia fire broke out. One major forest fire was raging in Athens’ northern suburbs, forcing thousands to evacuate. Another was directing through villages towards ancient Olympia, a crucial archaeological site in the Peloponnese, where the ancient Olympic Games were held over 1,000 years ago.
“Every house that is lost is a tragedy for us all. He said, “It’s a knife that we carry in our hearts.”
Hardalias was asked if he was satisfied by the country’s firefighting response. He replied: “Obviously, it is impossible to be satisfied after such a disaster. All of our ground and airborne forces were immediately sent to the fires.
He said, “Whether we could’ve done something else remains to be determined.” “But in any event, we fought an important battle and the casualties were not among civilians, but among those who were fighting it.”
The Greek authorities are focusing on saving lives and have issued evacuation alerts to dozens of villages this summer. A deadly fire that consumed a settlement on the coast of Athens in 2018 killed over 100 people.
Critics claim that the government’s emphasis on evacuation villages has prevented local villagers from aiding firefighters, and caused more property destruction.
The center-right government of Greece has promised to compensate all those who were affected by the wildfires, and to embark on a huge reforestation campaign to replace the trees that had been destroyed.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitchells announced Tuesday to a special cabinet meeting that homeowners of damaged or destroyed homes will receive as much as 150,000 euros ($176,000) in compensation from the state. Initial payments will begin next week and continue for several weeks. Businesses and farmers will also be eligible for support and tax breaks.
Crews battled two fires in southwest Turkey Tuesday, including one near Bodrum’s Gumusluk resort area. Bodrum’s mayor stated that the fire was nearing being extinguished, and that no residential areas were at risk.
Firefighters quickly set a new fire in the forest of Istanbul’s Sariyer District.
