Autopsy at Penteli made this morning by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas and the inspector of Southern Greece of the Fire Brigade, Lieutenant General Panagiotis Niafa. This inspection is part of the management and preparation for the challenges of this year’s fire fighting season. The focus of fire protection works includes maintenance of dirt roads, pruning of vegetation, clearing of grasses and debris that could cause fires.

“Today we are conducting an autopsy with the deputy minister Mr. Tournas and the inspector of Southern Greece, Mr. Niafa, in all the areas adjacent to Penteli, one of the three lungs of green and oxygen in the basin. The Ministry of Environment and Energy is doing work here, -the Antinero III, cleaning and paving dirt roads-, the DEDDEE, pruning and cleaning the greenery and grass. We are also trying to convince our fellow citizens through the municipalities – because you see it is a peri-urban, peri-forest area with many issues and many problems – to clean the branches from the pines in their gardens, in their houses, in the areas that are within the municipalities . We have given an extension until May 30″, noted Mr. Kikilias and appealed to everyone to “do their job”.

“This work never ends. There are always challenges and problems. There are other issues that need to be resolved in everything to do with prevention and preparation. We have given a great basis to this this year”, Mr. Kikilias emphasized and added that it is a difficult year, as the winter was dry . “Autumn has reached December. There is no snow and ice on the mountain to melt in the summer, the conditions create a very big challenge for all of us. We will make the effort together. The Fire Brigade, the Civil Protection, the other bodies, the Armed Forces, the self-government and I am asking very warmly our fellow citizens and all the people of these areas in particular, come and protect our home together”, emphasized Mr. Kikilias.

Regarding fines and sanctions, Mr. Kikilias said: “Already since March, there have been many, many fines for negligent fires, which is the one part that concerned us. These amounts also increased based on the new fire regulations. We wouldn’t want to get to that point. We would like there to be a collective and social conscience for each of us” and noted: “We are not asking for something foreign to the nature of man, to protect his home, his family, his people. The State, of course, has this responsibility and undertakes this large part that has to do with public spaces, but entering people’s yards is not possible. They have to do what they have to do themselves. Especially in these areas, the residents of these areas know how great the difficulties are and how many times and years they have been in danger.”

For his part, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas stated that there were indeed several fires during this period, but statistically they are at the same levels.

“Nevertheless, they are fires that enter this period especially by farmers or shepherds to clean the areas where they are active. However, they too must take appropriate measures so that the fires do not escape them. They should do this outside the fire season when there is no wind, have water with them so they can put it out afterwards. Nevertheless, some such measures do not comply with them, as a result of which it escapes them. Unfortunately, we have actually gotten to have quite a few fires. We have made over 300 arrests, issued over 400 fines, since the beginning of the year. Already from May 1st we have entered the fire protection system and all these and the fines and the provisions that are applied have increased, so from now on fire is prohibited”, pointed out Mr. Tournas.

Asked if we will have a difficult summer, Mr. Tournas said: “That’s what we believe too. As the scientists have told us we will have difficulties, given that we had a dry winter, so we are preparing for that” and concluded: “We are doing everything humanly possible so that we have the best results.”