2023-08-16 17:11:05
In Nea Anchialos, near the city of Volos, in central Greece, on July 27, 2023. TATIANA BOLARI / AFP
The heights of the village of Agios Georgios Feron, twenty minutes from the city of Volos, in central Greece, are black, bare, without trees or animals, this Thursday August 3. Two weeks after the fires that ravaged the agricultural and scrubby plain, the smell of burning continues to fill the warm air around the hamlet of 700 souls. In this region of Magnesia, 80% of livestock – more than 3,000 sheep, a few goats and cows – lost their lives in the fires at the end of July.
When the fire broke out in this already arid and sparsely wooded area on July 26, temperatures reached 45°C. Strong winds going up to 60 kilometers per hour make the work of firefighters difficult. More than 5,000 hectares then went up in smoke.
At the village cafe, faces are sad. The memories of these two days of fighting the flames continue to haunt the inhabitants. “Within an hour, the whole hill burned down. The firefighters did not have time to act. There were no air reinforcements and alone we couldn’t do anything… One of us, a 45-year-old herder, tried to save his herd, he lost his life…”, says, throat knotted, Kostas Tsintsous. The breeder lost all of his 300 sheep. Their milk was sold to local factories owned by the French company Lactalis to make the most famous of Greek cheeses, feta. The family business he ran with his brother and father needs to be rebuilt from scratch.
“One of ours is dead! »
” It is a disaster. I can’t get to sleep. I don’t know if I should continue this job or give up everything…”, confides the fifty-year-old. At his side, Vassilis Pagonis lost 350 sheep out of 600, his stables, his vehicles. “Not a television channel has made the trip to see the situation here, while one of ours is dead! »enrages the thirty-something. “The cameras were all in Rhodes. But here is the heart of the production of feta, our national cheese, doesn’t that count? In Rhodes, they are afraid of having no more tourists. But we lost our job, we got into debt to invest in our breeding, it will take us several years before we get back up…”he continues, desperate.
Read the report: Article reserved for our subscribers On the island of Rhodes, after the fires anger
A few days ago, a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture came to the site to estimate the damage, but no amount of compensation has yet been advanced. “To grow an animal, you need around 250 euros. Then you have to add the 800 square meters of stables that were destroyed. The State would have to give me more than 75,000 euros. I know that I will never have this sum but if I already have half, I will be able to rebuild myself little by little and not sink…”avoue Kostas Tsintsous.
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