Despite the grandiloquence about the full readiness of the state mechanism, the State Secretary for Civil Protection was forced to admit, on Friday morning, 21/05, that the great forest fire in Schinos, Corinthia, caught the state's infrastructure sleeping.
Mr. Hardalias spoke of bad luck, citing the fact that the hiring of aerial fire-fighting equipment will start on 25 May and will end on 15 June.
He admitted, however, that 29 aerial fire-fighting resources are missing and justified the delay in the organization of fire protection, saying that we are outside the main fire season.
It should be noted, however, that for decades - and for as long as the responsibility of fire protection of forests was in the forestry services - the start of the fire season is defined as 1 May. Thus, and given that due to the fact that climate change, scientists warn that forest fires will now occur earlier, the statement by Mr. Chardalias that the deployment of aerial means from 25 May onwards is unfortunate to say the least.
The Deputy Minister of State for Civil Protection was also asked about the 112 and why it was not activated on Wednesday night during the outbreak of the fire in Schino and argued that it is unfair criticism since sending sms to citizens from 112 is the last resort for the organized evacuation of citizens and that Wednesday night the evacuation of settlements was organized and disciplined.
