The fire in Corinthia prefecture presents more difficulty than any others in the Peloponnese because of the changing winds, the difficulty of the terrain with high mountains and deep ravines, and the constant flare-ups, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Firefighters are battling three fronts, he said – the region between Sofiana and Sparaneika (NW), Sofiana in the direction of Xanthochori and Pellini (SE), and at the plateau between Evrostina and Mt Mavro.
According to the latest figures, a total of 478 firefighters were fighting the fire along with 16 forest firefighters (‘forest commandos’), 154 fire trucks, and volunteers from several groups including local government, Greek police, and the Armed Forces, with heavy machinery and water trucks.
Until sundown, 12 helicopters and 8 airplanes were dropping water and another 2 helicopters helping in the coordination. Kikilias had noted that 50% of all remaining forest firefighters on the mainland were being added to the effort, while Italy and Croatia were contributing a total of three Canadair aircraft.
The fire started from “an unmapped field in a forest area that should not have been there and which we could not reach.”
Kikilias expressed his condolences to the families of two men whose bodies were found, and noted that two more men were rescued by firefighters. According to earlier news, two firefighters were injured in the blaze, which began in the Xylokastro area three days ago.
Among other issues, the minister also reiterated that the public needs to follow directions despite the fact it wants to remain at homes to protect them. This year, he said, Greece saw 4,500 fires start, far more than any other year, many of them put out early. The government did not expect that so many new fires would break out and such difficult ones so late in the season, from September to early October.
Asked about how much land had been burned at the Corinthia fire, Kikilias estimated between 4000 and 5000 hectares, but added that “we have been able to protect the greater part of our fellow-citizens’ properties upt to now.” This year, the total of land burnt in Greece is 37,000 hectares, he said.
