Season’s first large wildfire raises concerns
Blame game erupts between local authorities, while climate minister warns of tough summer ahead
As Greece braces for the summer, authorities are not ruling out anything as to the causes of the first large fire on the outskirts of Athens, and particularly the second front that headed from Kremastos Lagos toward Vari in southern Attica.
Meanwhile, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides has warned of a “tough summer” ahead based on the meteorological forecasts for the Eastern Mediterranean region, which is considered a climate crisis “hotspot.”
“We are still at the start and the aim is to mitigate the repercussions of all the new phenomena arising from the climate crisis,” he added.
The Fire Department’s probe so far has ruled out that it resulted from the transport of fuel.
More specifically, officers from the Fire Department’s Fire Crimes Directorate have conducted an autopsy in the area and their findings are expected to shed light on the causes of the blaze.
Sources at the Hellenic Energy Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) said no damage or spark had been identified in the power network and are waiting for the findings of the Fire Department.
The fire first started in the Attica suburb of Ano Voula on Saturday and spread to the southern suburb of Glyfada.
At the same time the fire also resulted in the continuation of a longstanding feud between the mayors of the southern suburbs.
The president of the Union for the Protection and Development of Ymittos Mountain (SPAY) and mayor of Elliniko-Argyroupoli, Yiannis Konstantatos, claimed that the place where the fire started, within the Municipality of Glyfada, was not cleared by SPAY this year because the municipality had left the association.
For his part, Glyfada Mayor Giorgos Papanikolaou claimed that SPAY never carried out systematic clearing.
“We left SPAY because we gave it 130,000 euros a year without result. SPAY constantly declared its inability to respond,” said Papanikolaou. “The clear-ups carried out by the municipality are in progress.
However, the point from where it started is located 500 meters from the settlement in the area of Ymittos. It is not one of the points that we are cleaning up,” he added.
