Attica Region on high alert for fire threat on Friday; civil protection coordination meeting
Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias chaired a coordination meeting ahead of Friday, when Attica will be at the highest level of fire threat (red alert, scale 5), while remaining at alert level 4 (orange) in several Greek regions.
Temperatures were expected to hit 40C in Greece on Friday, with strong winds reaching gale-force level in the Aegean.
“It is the first time we have a threat level 5, or red code of high alert, in Attica so early in June, and threat level 4 in four other regions of Greece,” Kikilias said. “The entire state mechanism will be on standby.” He added that there was no room for negligence or any action “that could lead to tragic results.”
Attending the meeting were officials of several ministries, regional governors of areas designated at threat level 4 and 5, Fire Brigade, Greek police, military, and emergency ambulance (EKAV) representatives, and related agencies.
Besides Attica (level 5, except for Kythira island), regions at a high threat of fire include Kythira, Peloponnese, Ilia, Achaia, Fokida, Viotia, Fthiotida, and the islands of Evia (including Skyros), Lesvos, and Chios.
The Fire Brigade said all its staff would remain on high alert to manage with the higher operational demands, from ongoing fires to threatened regions, while all security forces will continue their air patrols. At the same time, in regions under level 4 and 5 the Civil Protection service will implement actions to manage forest fires, including a preventative shutdown of traffic and visitors to national forests and ‘vulnerable’ areas.
The public can inform the Fire Brigade of any fires by calling 199, while more information is available at the site www.civilprotection.gr (in Greek).
Fires in Attica under partial control; man arrested over Varybobi fire
Fires that broke out in the areas of Patima in Aspropyrgos, Schistos in Korydallos, and Menidi were placed under partial control, the Fire Brigade said late on Thursday.
In addition, officers of the Fire Brigade’s unit on arson arrested a man for starting a fire in brushland at the location Thea in Varybobi, at the foothills of Mt. Parnitha, and was fined with 3,300 euros. The man will be led before a misdemeanors prosecutor on Friday morning.
The fire in Varybobi was placed under full control with the help of 45 firefighters, 11 fire trucks, 3 units on foot, 3 aircraft, and 3 helicopters, along with local government water trucks.
Source: AMNA
