The wildfire that broke out at midday on Tuesday in the Kampi area of Paros, near the sanitary landfill site, remains active and spread overnight from Agkairia toward Trypiti. The situation at the fire front appeared improved in the morning, with no settlement under threat. However, strong winds, scattered hotspots and the risk of further flare-ups mean that authorities remain on high alert.
A total of nine settlements have been evacuated. Since Tuesday afternoon, residents and visitors had been moved out of the areas of Agios Charalambos, Kampi, Bougados, Aneratza and Kamari. Shortly after 1:30 a.m., a 112 emergency alert instructed residents of Agkairia to evacuate toward Alyki, while at 2:15 a.m. those in Trypiti, Aspro Chorio, Glyfa and Pyrgaki were told to head toward Dryos.
The fire is believed to have started inside the landfill, with municipal officials alleging staff shortages and inadequate fire-protection measures.
The firefighting operation involves 66 firefighters, four forest-commando teams and 16 vehicles. Two aircraft and five helicopters are operating from the air, one of them in a coordinating role, while further reinforcements are expected. Volunteers and the Municipality of Paros are also assisting with water tankers and earth-moving machinery.
At the same time, investigations into the cause of the fire are continuing. Witness statements and local reports point, in the absence of an official finding so far, to the possibility that the blaze started inside the landfill. Municipal officials have reported understaffing, inadequate fire-prevention measures and an accumulation of branches and recyclable materials. The deputy mayor for Civil Protection also said that the fire broke out at the waste-disposal site, while the Fire Service has confirmed that it started in a waste area and spread toward the southern part of the island.
Source: Kathimerini [1], [2], Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών
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