- The Great Fire of Athens - Questions Remain
The major fire that raged near Athens for nearly three days has been extinguished. Firefighters continue to patrol the region - the so-called fire watch is intended to prevent any reignition of hotspots. Meanwhile, the discussion about causes and responsibility has begun in Greece.
According to media reports, a faulty power pole may have caused the fire on Sunday afternoon. The daily newspaper "Kathimerini" reported that a citizen observed that the support for the power cables on the pole in question had broken. Experts subsequently inspected the site and collected material for examination.
Residents described the fire as "like an atomic bomb" due to its rapid spread. Criticism has been directed at the fire department's deployment planning: Some citizens complained on social media that they did not initially see any firefighting aircraft or helicopters, despite the fire. Others praised the swift extinguishing of the vast area of around 100 square kilometers.
Citizens' Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias pointed out that the first firefighting helicopter was already on the scene four minutes after the fire broke out, which is confirmed by drone footage from the fire department shown in Greek media. However, the strong winds initially made it difficult for the forces to gain ground.
There are also questions about the only fatality from the fire, a woman who could not escape the buildings of a nursery. Other employees managed to escape, with some jumping from balconies, according to the newspaper "To Proto Thema". It is suspected that the woman suffered from smoke inhalation and became unconscious.
There seems to be agreement that it was a miracle that there were not more casualties given the intensity of the fire. Authorities had evacuated a total of 45 villages and neighborhoods in advance.
Aid is flowing in
The financial aid of 4.5 million euros from an initial aid package set up by the government can be applied for online by those affected within a few days. It is not yet clear how many people have lost their homes and how many businesses and agricultural operations have been damaged. One thing seems certain: The fire burned for less than three days - the aftermath and reforestation of the charred, devastated area will take much longer.
The daily newspaper "Kathimerini" also reported about the faulty power pole, mentioning a citizen's observation of the broken support. During the discussion about the fire's cause and responsibility, concerns have been raised about the response of the [The daily newspaper] "To Proto Thema" reported that the woman who tragically lost her life was from a nursery, suffering from smoke inhalation.
