The huge fire that has ravaged the Dadia National Park in Greece for two weeks has sparked controversy over the lack of prevention and organization in the fight against the fire.
Described as a “mega fire” according to experts, the Dadia forest fire, an area protected by the European Natura 2000 network, has so far destroyed more than 81,000 hectares, almost half of the hectares affected by the fires since the start. summer in Greece, according to the European Copernicus Observatory (EMS).
Like many countries around the Mediterranean, Greece is plagued every summer by devastating fires which this year have killed at least 26 people and ravaged at least 150,000 hectares, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Conservative government keeps blaming this disaster on the climate crisis.
But if the forest fires are indeed “stronger” in recent years due to climate change, “this cannot be used as a justification”, confides to AFP the academic Alexandros Dimatrakopoulos, who recalls that 10% of the wooded areas of the country have been burned since 2007.
According to this forest fire expert from the University of Thessaloniki (north), “better planning in the fight against fires is necessary as well as better cooperation between firefighters and specialists in the geomorphology of wooded areas”.
During a heated debate in parliament on Thursday, Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke of “significant damage” caused by the fires and blamed the disaster on “extreme conditions” such as the long heat wave in July in Greece, followed by “hot winds and dry”.
Responding to accusations from opposition parties on “the delays in prevention” and the problems of coordination of competent government services, Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke of the recent “mega fires” in Spain, Canada and the United States.
“Even these countries, which have a greater financial capacity than Greece”, are unable to manage them, he argued.
He announced the strengthening of the fire-fighting system with the purchase of technological equipment (drones) and the hiring of more firefighters.
Kostas Lagouvardos, director of research at the National Meteorological Observatory, however, affirms that the emphasis must be placed on “adequate prevention” of forest fires, “a recurring problem linked to dysfunctions in the cooperation between State services and scientific bodies”.
“Scientific tools exist and can help detect and deal with difficult climatological conditions upstream” such as “the extreme drought” which hit Evros and other regions in the spring, he explains.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized “certain scientists” who, according to him, publish data on the fires in the media, such as the number of hectares totally burned or other information, without the relative investigation being completed.
“In a democracy and in the era of data published at European and international level, science and national research centers are obliged to inform society about the results of their activities and the natural conditions that affect the lives of citizens” , reacted on Friday the Athens Observatory in a press release.
Declared on August 19 after the start of a first outbreak near Alexandroupoli, capital of the Evros department, followed by a second in the forest, near Dadia, the fire quickly spread in this dense zone of pines and oaks and place of habitat or hibernation of birds of prey.
Many villages had to be evacuated in Evros while 20 people, mostly migrants, were found charred last week near Alexandroupoli near the Greek-Turkish border, usual passage of migrants to Europe.
Twenty-five migrants were found Friday in the forest and transferred to a nearby structure, according to the authorities.
Switzerland announced Friday the dispatch of three helicopters to Greece which must join the Greek forces and an important European force arrived recently in the country.
The fire stretches over a front of several kilometers and Kostas Lagouvardos believes that “only the rain” will help to contain it. Showers are expected in the coming days in some parts of the country, he said.
02/09/2023 17:26:13 – Athens (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
