Greece wildfires nearly out as pressure increases on government

With a massive wildfire now contained after raging for two days near Athens, the Greek government was facing a different kind of firestorm today as media lambasted its response.

Firefighters patrolled smouldering areas north and east of the capital today, guarding against flare-ups while assessing the damage.

At least 150 homes have burned down officials said, while tens of thousands of acres of pine forest, olive grove, brush and farmland have been decimated.

Experts warned it would take generations to replace the forests, and that many were burnt beyond the hope of natural regrowth.

It was the most destructive blaze ever in the Attica region, and the worst in Greece since the 2007 wildfires that burned for more than two months and killed 76 people while laying waste to 679,500 acres (275,000 hectares).

Officials have not said how the fire was started on Friday night.

Hundreds of forest blazes plague Greece every summer and some are set intentionally.

The conservative government defended its effort in fighting the fire, which involved water-dropping aircraft from Italy, Cyprus and France.

Government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said today the effort had been “well-co-ordinated”, but he did not comment on any specific criticisms.

The Cabinet was meeting today to discuss possible relief measures for those whose homes were damaged.

Greek newspapers said the government had learned nothing from the 2007 wildfires, and had failed to improve fire protection measures and equipment from two years ago.

“Fatal errors and omissions,” the conservative daily Kathimerini said in a front-page headline. “The same mistakes were repeated all over ... lack of co-ordination, a faulty assessment of the situation, delays and infighting.”

Opposition papers were even more critical. The daily Eleftherotypia headlined one story on the fires with “The Criminal State”.

Another daily, Ta Nea, wrote: “It’s the pine trees’ fault!” – a headline mocking Monday’s statement by Mr Antonaros that said “Pine trees may be beautiful but they impede firefighting efforts.”

In a scathing editorial, Ta Nea faulted the government’s rejection of help from some countries such as Russia, and claimed “Over the past five years ... no new equipment has been purchased”.

Greek media had reported that a Russian offer of a plane and a helicopter to help the Greek firefighting effort was turned down, as was an offer from Austria to send six helicopters. The Greek government has not commented on these reports.

The fire broke out on Friday night in a mountainous area near the town of Marathon.

For days a pall of smoke hung over Athens and most of Mount Penteli, which separates Athens from the Marathon plain, was scorched to its 1,109-metre (3,638-foot) peak.

Some 500 firefighters, assisted by 300 soldiers, were patrolling the area today, a firefighting spokesman said. From the air, three planes and one helicopter were dropping water on the remaining flames.

A fire was still burning near villages on Evia island, east of the capital, and another to the north-west near the coastal town of Porto Germeno was under partial control, a spokesman said.

The main opposition Socialist Party planned to make a statement today, while Communist Party leader Aleka Papariga said the government had been “ineffective and disorganised” in responding to what she claimed was an organised move by land speculators.

“The government must account for ... the lack of a master plan, the delay in acquiring adequate equipment to fight the fires from the air and the lack of trained personnel.”