By Nicolas Bard

It was early August 2021 when the great fire that fled Northern Euboea also reached the picturesque town of the lake. The fire followed an uncontrolled course. In its passage, it burned everything: houses, hotels, businesses, black pines and fir trees, and erased as soon as it arrived at sea. The once -lush northern Euboea was expected to change once and for all, while this fire was a milestone for our country, as we have since entered new discussions on firefighting, the term “Mega Fire” appeared for the first time and returned to the table.

Memories from those days are still fresh, and no one can forget the image of the flaming mountain behind the lake. The night was day, the sparks were flying to the right and left in the atmosphere, and people were literally running to save themselves, but also to save whatever they could, even at the last moment. There were a few who managed to escape the fiery tongues at the last minute, and left behind they became ashes. The evacuation lasted for many hours and the inhabitants with brutal eyes left their lives behind and passed by boats on the opposite bank to be saved. The videos posted on social media and showed images of biblical disaster made the world round.

As expected, this enormous ecological disaster also hit tourism. Visitors to northern Euboea preferred it for its lush forests, waterfalls and crystalline beaches, and now going there they saw a skull. Nothing reminded of the previous natural beauty of the place.

However, people embraced the area, and did not abandon it after the devastating fires. Already in the next summer, there were many who returned to northern Euboea, showing their love for the region in practice, while the North Evia Pass given by the state motivated travelers and valuable help to local businessmen.

The main question, however, is how can the region be regenerated through the ashes and acquire its former beauty? In some cases, the ecosystem is rebuilt on its own, such as Halepios Pefki, whose seeds survive after the fire (around 70-80%) and when they fall to the ground they create new shoots. But this is not the case with black pine and fir. Their natural regeneration is very difficult, as the summer season, where the fires break out, their fruits are not mature. They usually mature in autumn, and specifically October to November. So in this case artificial reforestation is necessary.

If again an ecosystem burns several times in just a few years, as it did on the hills around Lake Evia, then the soil is completely stripped of seeds and its natural regeneration is quite difficult, to impossible. The state and the competent bodies must intervene with a plan and with the appropriate actions to intervene discreetly but drastically to help the natural environment regain its primary image. His camera where there is Greece traveled to the area and recorded today’s image, as well as the concerns of the locals.