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Fire destroys thousands of acres around Agalas

Α plane drops its load of water
Α plane drops its load of water
Fire destroyed between 4,000 and 6,000 acres of agricultural and forest land in the Agalas area.
The blaze broke out at noon on Friday, apparently at several sites near Kiliomenos, and was not brought under control until Sunday. The situation was considered particularly critical until the early hours of Saturday morning. Firefighters remained in the area during this week to prevent a resurgence.
The fire burned over steep and hilly ground on several fronts and twice threatened homes in Agalas, according to fire chief Nikos Chanias. He said it burned as far as the Keri Lake area.
Mr Chanias added that tackling the blaze had involved 49 firefighters from Attica and six vehicles from Ilia and Messinia. Also in use were four firefighting planes and two helicopters.
He said: “It is a miracle that nobody died, that houses and livestock facilities were not burned down.” He said he considered it a triumph that damage was limited to forest and farmland, mostly olive trees and vineyards.
He added: “This was a big fire which was very difficult to handle. The wind was constantly changing direction and the fire threatened to trapped civilians and firefighters. Fortunately, we managed to respond to the fullest extent.”
Water and electricity supplies to Agalas were interrupted when the fire destroyed part of a pipeline and part of the power distribution network.
For part of the time, firefighters were without water because there were insufficient tenders. Three firefighters suffered slightly: one was treated for respiratory problems, one was slightly injured and a third suffered an allergic reaction to an insect bite.
The deputy mayor of Laganas, Dimitris Andreolas, said many Agalas residents had lost all their crops. He estimated that 5,000 olive trees had been destroyed.
Mr Andreolas said arson was strongly suspected because fires seemed to break out in many different places, and in areas considered to be low risk.
Meanwhile, the process of measuring the extent of the damage and paying compensation to victims has begun. The Laganas Municipal Authority will coordinate with MP Dimitri Varvarigo in making representations to the Finance and Rural Development ministries.

Zante News – Weekly Newspaper of Zante in English
www.zantenews.gr/en/