Faithful copy of the August 2009 disaster that burned 210,000 acres in Northeast Attica and had led to a prosecution against Fire Department officers is the fire of the last hours, which stretches from Varnavas to Vrilissia. In particular, the fire of 2009 – the largest of all time in Attica – started from the same place, followed the same course and burned the same areas, from Varnava, Marathona and Kalendzi to Dionysos, Dioni, Palaia and Nea Penteli, while those the dramatic 24 hours were blowing strong winds with a north-easterly direction. In addition, in both cases the fire brigades failed to deal with the initial outbreak, became fragmented and eventually succumbed to the force of the weather and the 30-40 km long fire fronts.
“TA NEA” August 24, 2009
In the summer of 2009 (as was also the case this year, due to the large mobilization of the fire forces) there were no major disasters and in total, by August 22, only 100,000 hectares of forest land had burned across the country, resulting in complacency about a painless antipyretic period. It had preceded, after all, two years before, the fiery devastation in Ilia, Evia and Parnitha, with dozens of human victims and approximately 2,500,000 incinerated acres of forest area.
With a bottle of water, the firefighters tried to help the dog, who was taken to a safe place.
That fire started at 8 p.m. of August 22 from the hill Mavro Vouno Grammatikou, west of Sesi settlement, near the area’s landfill. This focus is at an extremely short distance from the starting point of the current fire, in the neighboring area of Varnavas. Initially it was given the impression that it was controllable, given that there was no dense forest in Sesi to extend it. In addition, that evening the attention of the Fire Department staff was focused on two other fires, in Magoula and Kalamos, which were eventually dealt with successfully.
“Lots of damage to houses”
However, a few hours later, the fire took on uncontrollable proportions and followed the route Grammatiko – Varnavas – Kalendzi – Marathon – Marathon Lake – Rodopoli – Penteli – Stamata – Anatoli Nea Makris – Drafi – Dioni, presenting striking similarities with what is recorded in Northeastern Attica in last 48 hours. It is typical that even then, as noted in a report by “NEON”, “the fire caused a lot of damage to houses and in the central square of Palaia Penteli, while the Children’s Hospital was evacuated”. That fire was finally brought under control three days later, burning an extensive (66.8%) forested area of 205,210 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
The initial conclusion drawn up by the then general inspector of Public Administration Leandros Rakintzis on the causes of the spread of the fire blamed 16 officers of the Fire Brigade for lack of understanding and inability to coordinate. In the end, however, prosecution was only brought against a high-ranking official of the Fire Department, as he was the one who had first gone to the area, proceeding with an incorrect assessment of the threat. However, he was later acquitted of the charges.
It is noted that – in addition to the one in 2009 – the most destructive fires in Attica were those of 2021 in Varibompi (burned 100,000 acres), of 1995 in Penteli, Pikermi, Pallini and Anthousa (100,000 acres) and of 1998 in Penteli, Neo Voutza and Anthousa. (75,000 acres). The last two, in fact, caused irreparable damage to Penteli, since they did not allow the regeneration of the once dense pine forest.
Source: THE NEWS
#eerie #similarities #fire #inquest
