Crete: Fire in Sitia – Great mobilization of the fire brigade

A fire broke out shortly after 09.30 in the morning, in the area of ​​Sitia, in a mountainous and inaccessible place. The fire broke out near the Roussa Church where they are operating 7 fire trucks with 16 men.

THE fire has erupted in a grassland, for a reason unknown until now. According to information, no settlement is in danger.

It is reminded that today the Chief of the Fire Brigade, Lieutenant General Alexios Rapanos and the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas are in Crete.

Concerns before the start of the fire season

The daily interventions of the Firefighting Vehicles and the men of the Ierapetra Fire Service, to extinguish agricultural and livestock fires during the winter and now in the spring, three weeks before the start of the firefighting season, have alarmed local firefighters. is forced to carry out surveillance and control patrols as well as informing the citizens, who do not take precautionary measures to avoid a fire.

“Even in the winter when the burning of plant residues is allowed, the citizens should know that it is allowed only under certain conditions.

It is allowed only if they have water available next to them, if they have plowed around their area so that the fire does not go beyond the limits of their property and if they have collected their plant residues at a great distance from the forest areas so that it is not endangered to be transported. the fire in the forest “, tells us the commander of the Fire Service of Ierapetra, Deputy Fire Chief Dimitris Kaliotzis.

The daily interventions of Firefighting Vehicles and the men of the Ierapetra Fire Service, for extinguishing agricultural and livestock fires during the winter and now in the spring, three weeks before the start of the fire season, have worried the officers of the local service, which is forced to evacuate and control and information of the citizens, who do not take precautionary measures to avoid a fire.

“Even in the winter when the burning of plant residues is allowed, the citizens should know that it is allowed only under certain conditions.

It is allowed only if they have water available next to them, if they have plowed around their area so that the fire does not go beyond the limits of their property and if they have collected their plant residues at a great distance from the forest areas so that it is not endangered to be transported. the fire in the forest “, tells us the commander of the Fire Service of Ierapetra, Deputy Fire Chief Dimitris Kaliotzis.

For the past 15 days when there is no rain, the Fire Service is called daily to rush to extinguish agricultural and livestock fires.

At the same time, it is noted that we have livestock fires this year after a few years of relative calm.

“In the last few days we have been called every day to put out the fire fires mainly in olive groves, where the producer had burned his olive branches with apnea and humidity, but when he left he had not taken care to pour water at the point of burning and after two or three days when strong wind arose, the sparks from the coals had not gone out. , spread the fire to neighboring properties or even to forest areas.

So we had to have a fire truck patrolling the whole district on a daily basis and where the firefighters see smoke, they run to check if the precautionary measures that all citizens should take are observed. We ask everyone to take the basic precautions, because after a rainy winter the vegetation is very developed and the risk of fire is always very high even when we do not have strong winds. The biggest problem we have, with those who think leaving, that the fire will go out on its own, without having poured water on the coals of the hearth that had been lit earlier and even next to areas with grassland, with asparagus and bushes that burn too much easily “emphasizes the commander of P.Y. Ierapetra Deputy Commander Dimitris Kaliotzis.

“This year we also have livestock fires. That is, those caused by some breeders in order to grow more grass for their herds. We have already intervened in two cases in Thripti, one in Selakanos and one in Oreino. In areas with pine forests that are in danger of burning if we do not protect them with all our might. We will not hesitate to activate in cooperation with OPEKEPE, the provision that excludes the payment of subsidies for breeders who have declared the specific pastures in the IACS and within these coordinates were certified by our service livestock fires regardless of which their manifestation. “OPEKEPE will exclude from the subsidies, those cattle breeders who have stated that they will have their herds in these pastures”, warns Kaliotzis.

At the same time, the responsible deputy mayor for Civil Protection of Ierapetra, Mr. Nektarios Papadakis, informs the people of Ierapetra that, until April 30, all owners, prefectures, usurers and tenants of land and other uncovered areas located within their cities and towns are obliged to the removal of all cleaning residues, as well as the removal of any other abandoned burners or explosive materials or objects in the above areas. The firefighting season begins on May Day.

In order to protect the life and property of the citizens and in order for the roads to be accessible by the firefighting earth-moving vehicles etc. that attempt in case of fire, all the owners, prefectures and usurpers of agricultural lands are called to cut all the prominent – to roads of common use – branches of their trees, bushes, etc. and to remove with their own care the cleaning products.

Nea Kriti

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