10 days of overpowering fires in almost all regions. 50,000 hectares of forest burned. Could the results have been less catastrophic if Greece had been better prepared? Like many residents, part of the press criticizes the government for its action. It is in particular pointed out the insufficient means of the firefighters, as the teams of France 2 have been able to observe. They try to put out a landfill fire with a hose that is almost out of order. Recent investments beginent to modernize the equipment.
Lack of firefighters
There would still be a shortage of 3,600 firefighters, a legacy of the austerity policies of the previous decade. Greece is also behind in terms of prevention. “Dead vegetation is precisely what the fire needs to spread. If the field were cleanit would be more difficult for the fire to pass through it”explain Athanassios Sfougaris, professor at the University of Thessaly. In theory, it is up to the municipalities to impose fines on the owners who would not respect this instruction, but this is rare.