Greece declares emergency as 44 perish in raging fires

By Agencies

The Greek government declared a state of emergency for the entire country yesterday after forest fires killed at least 44 people in the southern Peloponnese region. "All regions of the country are declared in a state of emergency in order to mobilize all means and forces to face this disaster," Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said in an address to the nation.

Since Friday morning, more than 170 fires have burned from the western Ionian islands to Ioannina in northwest Greece, and down to the south. New fires broke out yesterday, and fears grew that the death toll could rise as rescue crews reached villages that had been cut off by walls of flames. Arson was suspected in several cases, with 20 new fires starting during the night. "So many fire fronts in so many locations in the country can't be a coincidence," Karamanlis said. "The state will do its utmost to find the culprits and punish them.


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As flags flew at half-staff over Parliament and other government buildings, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis led an emergency meeting of senior ministers in Athens. "This is a day of national mourning," Karamanlis said after visiting afflicted areas. "I wish to express my deep grief over the lost lives. ... We are fighting against heavy odds, on many fronts and under particularly tough conditions."

Following a Greek request to its European Union partners for help, France said it was sending two fire-fighting aircraft yesterday, while Germany, Spain and non-EU member Norway offered aircraft, and Cyprus was to send firefighters and fire engines.

The deadliest fire was in the western Peloponnese region of southern Greece, where at least 38 people were killed in mountain villages near Zaharo. A massive fire in the area, fanned by strong winds, continued to burn out of control.

The blazes caused extensive electricity cuts in the Peloponnese, where officials said more than 230 villages were without power yesterday.

With firefighting services stretched to the limit, the military was also called in to help. Authorities said 500 soldiers, as well as several military helicopters, were to join the firefighting efforts.

Greece has suffered its worst summer for forest fires this year, with hundreds of blazes burning thousands of hectares of forest and brushland. With early elections just three weeks away, the devastating fires are certain to become a political issue. Karamanlis' government has been criticized for its response to previous fires that ravaged Greece earlier this summer.

First RIP to the victims and my condolences to their families.

I think Karamanlis is also on fire now, really not understandable why he waited so long to order in the army to help to battle the fires. Turkish news senders say Karamanlis did not want the army involved because this would make the civilians look bad and cost him votes.

If true I have one word for him: malaka!

Karamanlis is your typical Greek politician, raised in a political family. He's better than the oposition, IMO, but just barely.

He's Greek, but he doesn't feel it in his veins. And since he probably never held a real job in his life, he doesn't feel the urgency when things go wrong. He's just a fat boy politician who parlayed daddy's name into a PM slot.

He's taking a lot of heat over these fires and justifiably so. Needs to get off his fat ass and start acting like a real PM, instead of just talking about it like most Greek politicians.

ta munia gamo ,anikani gamo nevriasa oli tin mera akuo kai vlepo stin jermaniki tileorasi ti trexi, imaste anikani gamoto...pote tha alaksi avti i notropia tu GOLU!??!! :attention:

This is OUTRAGOUS :wall: We didn't have much forests left after the 90's, now what was left is gone :angry: The ineptitude of the gov is at a new high. And I'm very afraid that Turkish agencies are responcible for many fires, like in the 90's when we caught red-handed 5 turkish agents... cough... "tourists" setting fires. If this is so, we must retaliate ten times stronger :bricks: :drink2: RIP to all... what a facked up situation. I want answers and accountability on why more preventive measures, and more reactive measures were not taken. Its not like fires are a secret here, they should know much better! :battered:

At least 57 have died, 7 arrests have been made thus far.

any details on the 7 arrests?

Thank you :friendship:

The death toll is at 63 people,are country is burning to the Ground. :damn:

Greece is bledding and are politicians are sleeping.You guys are talking about

the army helping their only 1000 soldiers,when we need 50,000.As for the

arsonist,their one million dollars reward for them.

I think it's irresponsible to blame these fires on the Turks. Those that are started by arsonists, I bet you'll find most of them are Greeks. Just my opinion.

Sad to think that beautifull forests and animals are burning now we have property and people as well.

Looking at the fires on TV it dosen"t seem much can be done as alot of these areas seem mountinous and difficult to access.Aircraft are probably the best.

Perhaps in future,backburning during cooler months is the best option.

:angry:

170 fires at the same time.
that isnt normal. 1990s we burn both our forsets. that is a fact .
but this one !!
i dont know . i only see the pictures. and feel sorry. nature, peoples, homes lives.
and those things that you cant bring with money in 2 years or 3 years.

it needs 100 years to be good forest again...

i some times wish world human population to be degreaded %80 .

without us it would be better.

we also have huge fires here too. made by constructors dogs and made by pkk to sabotage our turizm too.

and why europe dont sent more help? . planes are very critical in this sitiation.

even yugoslavýa had 12 canadairs. or italy or france. :Cursing:
or helicopters could be used easly only by buyýng water baloons that cost 3000 dolars each !!. buying 20 30 water balons woulnd be more expensýve than a jeep .!! and when nesary army chopers can re act fastly.

one phone talk could make planes rent for 1 week . than skys would full of fire extýnguýsng planes.
but 170 fires very hard to deal with human force from ground. espiacialy in mountains and forests.

Kaan .

turkish ministry of forest calls greek minister
and ask do you need anything .?
he said we need planes what ever we get !
and now we sent one canadair to Greece.
even we need them too. now there are 6 7 fires in Turkey.. and few planes.

even we argue we are neighbours.
;)
and hope you find the ones who burn them !

Guys,

I see on other forums that people started to publish a Turkish daily news article on Turkish silence for the Greek forest fires.

First of all, Turkey is already fighting the same problem with less number of firefighting planes. Even though, I would have liked to see some earlier help, the fact is we don't have enough planes for ourselves (you see we mostly rent). Our most efficient planes, air force C-130s are not used for the forest fires anymore because of the possible fractures in their wings. The bright side is in near feature we will have 20 new helicopters (likely to be S-70) for forest fires and hopefully, our help would be more for future.

Second, Today the forest minister announced that we sent our best plane (CL 215) to Greece.
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/7164156....id=180&a=463024

Lets hope the fires will be extinguished soon.

Things need to change after this. Whoever in Greece has a private field or property and they leave dry dead brush without making attempts to clean it needs to get wacked hard.

The forest service and firefighting bodies need to make a campagin to make controlled burnings of corridors in heavily forest areas. You can have the most Canadairs in Europe like Greece and it still will not matter unless you do aggressive controlled burnings.

Absolutely the best way is preventitive measures, and post fire eco-control. IE erosion control so trees can grow back, and aggressive re-forestation. But dry fuel growth must be controlled and a public campaign for anyone and everyone to watch for eco-terrorists should be in place.

Mate, there is no irresponcibility about it. Its a FACT. Turkey burned tens thousands of acres in the 90's especialy in the eastern islands and the north. We promptly sent our own "tourists" over there and burned the shit out of thier forests as well. This is a lose lose situation, and I'm afraid that again this is happening. Naturaly, very many of the fires are started by Greeks/Greek affiliated developers, but there are just too many fires to be only Greeks starting them. I would not be surprized if there are many more fires started in Turkey next year ;) Call me paranoid, but on a scale this big, there must be many forces involved...

I thank TU for any help they can send us, though it sure is late... As for the rest of Europe, they aren't sending us shit!!! 2 planes from France, our biggest ally??? WTF? where is the rest of Europe? Greeks tend to forget and forgive too easily. I hope this is a strong lesson for us. We are, truly on our own...

PS heads in the gov HAVE to roll. And a public fund should be set up for the public to contribute to the reward for the arsoninsts AND thier employers. 1mio is great, but I feel this is a vast conspiracy by multiple parties that would need more motivation. I would gladly contribute USD100 to such a fund. Life sentences to all fuckers involved :ar15:

Aside from Turkey being already on fire, I wouldn't be surprised that there will be more, this year and the next year. And do you know why? Because our beloved government passed a law stating that it is OK to urbanize the areas which lost their forest status. And we have seen one way to make a forest loose its status especially the areas next to Aegean Sea.

100% right.Perhaps rangers could mobilize local communities every year.

I notice it is very effective in Australia where done but it can"t be done everywhere in Australia.

I notice that Australia has offered $3 million and firefighters.

I just downloaded a 4 hour ΑLPHA TV bulletin from 26/8/2007.

The Greek media are just traitors. They are too live in their broadcasts instead of presenting researched facts. They just let citiziens and journalists have a live platform to male stupid accusations like "Where were the airplanes, where were the helicopters, where were the fire-fighters, etc. etc.". The average citizien in a burning village is in no position to know these things, and it is no good for the media to give them a platform to spread panic and second guessing. I do not remember the American media using Katrina to spread fear and panic.

+1 The heroic people involved did everything, and died doing so, that they could. They would be everywhere if they could. But when the gov mobilizes only 1000 troops and minor logistical support, they can only do so much. We should mobilize 15.000 and water trucks, buldozers, etc. Blaming them is dishonourable...

Any more news on the arrested? Aside from the infinite bla bla, finger-pointing and speculation? any official updates?

The only one I can recall real detail given about was the 70-some year old yiayia going to bake in an outdoor oven in the Zaharo area, she's being charged with criminal negligence.

That seems a bit much, she's 70-some odd years old. She simply picked the wrong time to bake. Poor woman must be feeling awful right now.

god always same story !! <_<

here a beatiful forest in near a tourism area gets burn so it looses its forest ability . and opens for construction. and only 60 years old country is charged.

and some of them shouts of pkk did it. but aculay pkk dont have construction company to buily a hotel there.

after a act if some body is profitble. he is the guilty guy.

look what will hapen to burning places. !!! will there be a new houses hotels . or new forest. !!
kaan

I have heard some news recently but they have nothing to do with turkey.. These days i've been to a demonstration against another enviromental crime that is being orchistrated by our 3 major parties,i'm talking about the acheloos river diversion which by all means is a crime against nature and civilians..As soon i got back to Agrinion i got astounded by the news..
One arsonist was caught red handed by the fire dept and was beaten the shit out of him!!At least that's what a friend told me..

Thermo check your πι εμς


Check thisSite also

Faking good article/link DEA :thumbsup: . I hope I can find some time to translate this weekend.

For our non Greek speaking mates, here is something, although its from western media and not nearly as thorough as your link...

Well shit, if its illegal building on land that was burned, why is it not distroyed??

I'll say it again... there is something BIG going on that we don't know, aside from capitalistic motivations...

http://www.patranews.gr/news.asp?ID=6195

For much time before the summer, various groups domestic and foriegn, have been eyeballing many areas in western Greece for investment/developement. Three days before the fires in w.Peloponise (21/8), WTC group was there and meet with the Greek Secretary General regarding interest in MAJOR funding of touristic and nautic investments.

We welocme ANY serious investor with available capitol, for building of projects that advance our developement. Its our second time meeting with (the WTC group) in 6 months, with the target of advancing a mega-investment from a world-wide industrial entreprising group.


There is some motivation for the Peloponise fires!!!! Yiayia cooking huh? :doubt: :attention:

There is much more that I can translate when I can if anyone wants.

Thermopyles that would be great. :)

Here's an article from the Economist I came across a few minutes ago if anyone's interested...

Burning forests

Fighting Greek fire
Aug 29th 2007 | ATHENS
From Economist.com

Firefighters are overstretched and reasons to start blazes abound

AP

AS RECENTLY as two years ago, a forest fire came close to burning down the home of Costas Karamanlis. The Greek prime minister’s seaside villa outside Athens escaped the conflagration. But the event prompted Mr Karamanlis to promise strict measures to dissuade developers from building on land cleared by the blaze; satellite photos, for example, would be taken at regular intervals to help enforce Greece’s law banning construction in forest areas.

Mr Karamanlis and his conservative government have failed to deliver. This week the emergency services struggled to contain the worst forest fires to strike Greece in more than a century. The latest blazes sweeping the countryside have left more than 60 people dead. The problems of tackling the fire were compounded by the forestry department’s lack of access to satellite pictures that could have enabled fire-fighters to find and douse blazes before they caused serious damage.

Many perished trying to escape from Zacharo, a village in the Elis district in south-west Greece, as it was engulfed by flames. Other villages in the Peloponnese region were still being evacuated on Wednesday Aug 29th, six days after the fires started. Homes in more than 100 villages were gutted, livestock died and the olive crop was destroyed. So far the fires are reckoned to have caused €5 billion-worth of damage by some estimates.

The government, preparing for a snap election on September 16th, was quick to come up with some financial assistance for the stricken: €13,000 in cash, equivalent to more than a year’s income for most villagers from Elis, was handed out to anyone affected by the fires. Few were grateful; many who escaped from burning villages said they felt the emergency services had let them down.

Greek forestry officials blame arsonists for more than half of the fires. The remainder, they claim, were caused by flying sparks from electricity pylons or human carelessness. Seven people were arrested in the aftermath of the fires that struck Elis and Evia, an island in the Agean Sea near Athens; both the anti-terrorist squad and the intelligence service joined the hunt for fire-raisers.

Conspiracy theories are rife. Hardline members of Mr Karamanlis’s New Democracy party claim that the left had organised a fire-raising campaign to discredit the party and damage its chances of being re-elected. But there is probably no single culprit. An exceptionally hot summer following on the heels of a winter drought has made Greece’s resinous pine forests even more flammable than usual. Strong winds helped a spark from a chainsaw start one big fire.

Eye witnesses claim that several fires in the Peloponnese were started deliberately. Arsonists certainly have strong motives for starting blazes. Rising incomes have fuelled a construction boom. Demand is high for land near the sea to build second homes. Although Greek law states that builders cannot put up homes on forest land, developers are practised at getting around the rules.

Because Greece still lacks a land registry covering the whole country—a programme to put this right paid for by the European Union is moving at snail’s pace—it is easy to have burned land reclassified as farmland, which can then be sold for development. And in many places local officials are open to bribery to ease the issuing of planning permits without asking too many questions. Politicians often declare an amnesty for illegal buildings ahead of an election.

Will things be different next summer? Better fire-fighting is a priority. Greece has almost 40 water-bombing aircraft, more than any other southern European country. But its forestry service and fire-brigade are under-staffed, ill-equipped and poorly trained.

The civil-defence department lacks a fire-prevention strategy, which could lessen the impact of future fires. In other places prone to burning people clear undergrowth from their local forests during the winter and bulldoze fire-breaks around villages. In summer round-the-clock fire-watches are maintained. The next government, whether led by Mr Karamanlis or George Papandreou, leader of the main opposition Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement, will have to take fire prevention seriously.

Source

thanks ariadne and thermo.

the situation seems to be better day by day ...the german television critisize ouer live style and they say ouer way to build its wrong ,buildings etc..

they show athens center with thousends of people and the burned areas...

hope we can learn from these situations and create a better greece for the future ,maybe its good that in 2 weeks are the elections....HOPEN AGAIN

regards :ph43r:

Incredible to think there is no land registry.

Greece has access to defence satilites.Why weren"t they used?

Greece has many beautifull forests.Lets hope they don"t become concrete jungles.

And it may be well that Greeks don"t blame the govt too much as internationally people who don"t understand the Greek temperement think that Greeks are incompetent people.From what I"ve seen on TV the firefighters have done a great job in impossible conditions.Looking at the US response to Katrina shows nobody does much better.

In future,prevention is better than cure.

I can't stop but thinking what would happen if we had 200 uh-60 hellos or nh-90 and not uh-1..They could certainly fly day and night helping the firefighters,evacuating people when necessary and why not extinguishing fires..
Now take the article i posted and combine it with the statements that the pasok representative said.You will get the peloponisian fires..

The good thing with all this,is that next year there will be no fires..There's nothing left to torch...