2024-05-08 21:01:59
Civil Protection and the Fire Service are prepared for a difficult fire fighting season, with one of the big bets being to make citizens aware of the high degree of risk and behave accordingly.
The rise in temperature and periods of drought are the data that are of particular concern, and it is indicative that, according to data from the Fire Department, the number of fires that have occurred this year from January 1 to May 1 compared to the corresponding period of 2023, is up almost 22%. In particular, from 1/1/2024 to 1/5/2024 there were 3,543 agroforestry fires, while last year in the same period there were 2,907.
There were also fires in Epirus during this period, without, however, recording a significant increase compared to the corresponding period last year, with the rainfall of the last few days causing relief, as they will act as a deterrent to the initiation and occurrence of fires, given that they increase the soil moisture.
Scientists express strong concern about the problems we may have in the forests due to the drought. April was the 10th month in a row that we had temperatures above the normal levels for the season in all regions of the country, while, as extremely worrying, the occurrence of fires at a very high altitude, which under other conditions should have have snow cover, like the recent one in the Pieria Mountains. Some, in fact, of the March-April fires showed characteristics that corresponded to fires that would occur later entering the summer.
“We are already in a warmer and drier climate, but as this intensifies, forest ecosystems that were not as vulnerable to fire, such as for example ecosystems in the north country, will start to become vulnerable,” said the fire meteorologist and commissioned researcher of of the Athens Observatory, Thodoris Giannaros, in his statements, which hosts the APE-MPE, and added: “Having very low soil moisture, having low moisture in your fuels that burn, in the vegetation, this leads directly to an increase in intensity in which the fire burns, in increasing the rate at which the fire moves and also creates the conditions to possibly have extreme behavior as we move into the summer. This is a very worrying element.”
They bet on the new doctrine
In preparation for this year’s fire season, which has already begun, the Fire Service has changed its operational doctrine, focusing on, among other things, faster field response with more response forces, fewer fire starts, prevention, better operational organization and the immediate mobilization of air assets.
The aerial means, which this year amount to 88, will be mobilized immediately from the start of the forest fires, approximately within 20 minutes. In order to slow down the spread of the fire, aerial means of forest firefighting will also have at their disposal a retardant liquid. With regard to their mobilization, the order from ESKEDIK will be immediate. If in the interval of preparation the fire has been dealt with, the command will be cancelled, however in the event that the aircraft/helicopter has already taken off, it will do wetting or surveillance in areas deemed high risk. At the same time, in the context of the new operational doctrine of the PS, there has been a redistribution of air assets to the main bases of the territory, with the aim of better coverage and reducing the response time, as well as their immediate mobilization by the ESKEDIK upon the start of forest fires. Another point that is given importance and emphasis is the cooperation between the Fire Brigade and the Forestry Service, as groups of the Forestry Service will be mandatory in the field and will operate in support of the forces of the Fire Brigade.
In addition, the EMODE (forest commander) have been strengthened as ten new EMODE units were established, bringing their number to 16 in total throughout the territory.
At the same time, in the part of prevention, importance has been given to the imposition of administrative fines but also to the tightening of fines (from 500 to 50,000 euros) and penalties for the crimes of arson. Already in our area, a man, who was arrested in a village of the Municipality of North Tzoumerka for arson, took the road to Korydallos prisons.
Indicatively, until April 30, 2024, 152 arrests were made while 353 fines totaling 175,600 euros were imposed.
With regard to prevention, emphasis was also placed on the opening of fire protection zones in the forests in the context of a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Fire Brigade, DEDDIE and ADMIE for the cleaning of high voltage network areas (fire protection zones) that pass through through woodlands.
In addition, one of the important changes is the mobilization of volunteer groups, which will be mobilized from the start of each fire.