For the tenth day, the fire in Evros burns uncontrollably, with the firefighting forces fighting for the last few hours, focusing on the front located northwest of the Kotronia area towards Dadia.

The purpose is to create a line of defense in order to stop the advance of the front so that it does not pass to the small nucleus of Dadia.

Earlier, speaking to ERT, the press representative of the Fire Department, Giannis Artopioos, said that the possible change of the wind to the south is a cause for concern, which, if it happens, as he said, will send the fire towards Dadia.

In Lefkimmi, yesterday, after rekindling, the fire approached the first houses, with the residents of the area being notified via 112 to evacuate towards Tychero Evros.

In Rodopi, the front that the Fire Brigade is working on is the one between the area of ​​Kassitera and Kirki. Due to a resurgence in the Kassitera area yesterday, a message was sent from 112 to the residents to move away to Sapes.

A government echelon is visiting Evros today to conduct an autopsy on the areas affected by the fires. The head of the echelon will be the Minister of Territory Makis Voridisaccompanied, among others, by the Minister of Citizen Protection Yannis Economouthe Minister of Rural Development and Food Lefteri Avgenakis and the deputy minister of the interior Theodori Livanio.

Race for Dadia

The firefighters are fighting to prevent a greater disaster in the forest of Dadia, where rare species of birds are endemic.

The first indications are that the reproduction of the black vulture, the rare species, which fortunately had completed this year’s cycle shortly before the fire broke out, was not affected.

The fire that continues to burn the forest of Dadia leaves behind a huge ecological disaster in the only forest in all of Europe where you can see 4 different species of vulture.

In the heart of the Dadia National Park, there was and was a model forest recreation area. It had many courts, areas for the entertainment of visitors as well as many buildings for their overnight stays. None of this exists any more, all surrendered to the fury of destruction.

The biggest fear is that the fire will not pass into the core of the forest, where rare species of animals and birds have found refuge.

As explained by Anna Konstantinidou, head of the technical park management unit of the Evros delta and Dadia, in the forest of Dadia we meet 36 of the 38 species of birds of prey in Europe and the last black vulture population. It is a very important area for birds of prey.

“The biggest risk is that the fire does not escape and pass through the narrow core where there is a large colony of black vultures,” he emphasizes.

Already the ecological disaster that has been caused is great.

Not only Greek forces have been thrown into the extinguishing battle, but also reinforcements from abroad, which in fact are faced with extreme and unprecedented situations.

“The fires, compared to the fires we are facing in the Czech Republic, are completely different, despite the fact that we had the information, while we were traveling here, that 10,000 hectares had burned in 24 hours, it is a size that we could not imagine while the temperatures prevailing in the country are very difficult”, emphasizes a Czech firefighter, Head of the ground forest fire team.

They try to block the front in every way.

A wide fire zone 170 meters wide has been created.

This fire zone was opened during the night and helped to save the settlement.

“We are 46 personnel with 5 fire trucks and an ambulance with two doctors and a rescuer. Our mission is to help as much as possible in extinguishing fires. Let’s support the fire brigade of Greece in this difficult battle”, emphasizes Leonard Tsouras, Representative of Civil Protection of Albania.

Strong firefighting forces remain in the forest of Dadia, as flare-ups are continuous.

Firefighters across the country are on standby for fear of an increase in the intensity of the winds expected from Monday morning.