“The most important thing is that we had no loss,” the minister stressed
Update on the current updated picture from Chios In which he was found yesterday, he was provided with the House Committee being processed by the Civil Protection Bill and the Fire Department, the responsible Minister, Yiannis Kefalogiannis.
Mr. Kefalogiannis informed that on Sunday’s morning and noon hours, The fires began in a half hour period in three different parts of the island And specifically in Kofina, in Agia ‘Anna and in Agios Makarios Vrontades. Shortly after midnight, a fourth front was opened in the area of St. Mark and a fifth fire broke out in the area of Agiasia on Monday morning.
“This is obviously, as I said publicly, it has not only been concerned, but for this reason, the first day is the arson of the island to collect all the necessary elements and of course once we have specific announcements we will make them,” the minister said. Addressing the body, he added that it is a multifocal fire in adverse weather with seven and eight beaufort and often the gusts of the winds exceed these speeds, over 70 kilometers per hour. He also informed that at the time the first fire broke out and in a half hour and the other two, the available force of the Fire Brigade in Chios was 140 people and 23 vehicles.
“And, of course, you realize that when three different fronts break out in an hour, there is obviously a split of the forces to deal with all three at the same time. However, in less than 48 hours, 444 firefighters were developed on the island with 21 forestry groups and 85 vehicles in addition to 30 volunteers and 4 vehicles. A total of 14 helicopters and 4 aircraft were allocated for all days for all days. Total 18 aerial means throughout the days, ”he said.
Mr. Kefalogiannis, He also said that the help of both the Armed Forces and the vehicles and the staff, the police who did an excellent work on the discharge of the settlements was most valuable, which was needed, especially the local and second degree local authorities, and the region and the region, but also the municipality.
“In the first 48 hours, 19 messages were issued 112. The two were preventive and 17 were for the removal of the population from settlements that were at times at risk. And, of course, the important thing is that at the moment the fire on the whole island is in a recession, thanks to the titanic effort of more than 600 of our fellow citizens and who have helped to extinguish it. It does not appear to be disasters right now, and of course, not to infrastructure. The most important thing is that we had no loss, ”the responsible minister said.
He also announced that the next period would be sent to the island respectively from the relevant ministries and if necessary by the Ministry of Climate crisis to record any disasters or damage we have mainly on the agricultural part of the infrastructure, the RES.
“And of course all those who fought the real battle, our firefighters men and women were literally without shifts. They were of course strengthened with strengths and deserved a lot of congratulations, as well as our volunteers, ”he added, referring to the Titanian effort of the Fire Brigade.
Mr Kefalogiannis pointed out that all this is important to be said, because in essence it is the political protection of our homeland in practice and noted that there is many times consolidated in public dialogue by many – and from opposition – reflective “which is the state?” “There is no more misleading and counterproductive tool of public debate than this question, because the state essentially responds. There may be many times – and I am not just referring to Civil Protection – delays or even deficiencies, but I think that if you see all the past, how many incidents have been dealt with, you will find that we have now exceeded 3,500 fires and only the last three days we have had 148. To stay in a special criticism of some things, but to forget or not refer to all the above, it is mainly unfair to people who are at the forefront, which are none other than our firefighters. “
He explained that it is mentioned, because the example of Chios can also be used for very useful conclusions: that we had, for example, 17 discharges of settlements in a very coordinated and in a rational way, for our 600 fellow citizens, who helped with dozens of vehicles, this was the result.
“I think, then, that what I have described before, that is, the speed of mobilization, the cooperation between different actors- and this is a state that the state has- the operational response and the protection of the population, obviously, have not been done by chance. There have been very specific steps. Step-by-step is being built a civil protection mechanism and I think this draft law is also coming to add to these steps that have been taken, ”the minister concluded.