The economy is in a recession major fire which broke out at noon on Tuesday, September 6, in the area between the villages of Agia Pelagia and Agia Anastasia.
According to the latest update, the intensity of the winds blowing from the northwest throughout the day—which reached as high as 8 Beaufort—has subsided. Currently, two helicopters are operating in the area (the total number of aircraft involved during the day is 12 airplanes and 5 helicopters), the island’s entire firefighting force (both permanent and seasonal personnel) as well as volunteers, while local residents, municipal water trucks and tankers from surrounding villages. Firefighting efforts are being reinforced by ground crews that arrived from Neapoli.
The Civil Protection Agency, through the deputy mayor in charge, Yiannis Katsanevakis, has been responding appropriately to the situation from the very beginning.
The active front is in Agia Anastasia
The Fire Department’s efforts have been focused on the area north-northwest of Agia Anastasia, where the fire is still burning in a hard-to-reach ravine. The good news is that, at least for now, neither the village nor any homes in the area are under threat.
The experience of “Black 17” calls for vigilance
With memories of the devastation left in the wake of the 2017 fire still fresh, everyone is preparing for a difficult night ahead and an even more difficult day tomorrow. At the time, it seemed, for a while, that the situation was under control—an assessment that ultimately proved to be incorrect, with the well-known disastrous consequences. Vigilance and the best possible coordination are therefore required so that the island does not suffer another environmental tragedy.
