A wildfire on the island of Serifos in the Cyclades has burned down or just damaged houses, storage buildings, cottages and small chapels and had 8 settlements in the south of the island evacuated.
Of all islands Serifos where the highest wild growing plants are oregano, thyme and parsley!
The fire broke out in low vegetation – mainly garigue/phrygana – in Kalo Ampeli on Saturday afternoon and spread quickly due to powerful winds blowing in the area. It was ultimately extinguished when it reached the sea.
Initially it was the four firefighters with the one engine available on the island as well as water tankers from the municipality, that rushed to the fire front.
However, these firefighting forces were not enough to prevent the disaster that followed.
Other teams were deployed from neighboring Syros and Athens who arrived on Serifos with 3 vehicles with 7 firefighters from Syros and another 11 vehicles with 22 firefighters from Athens. in the early morning hours of Sunday.
Messages through emergency line <112> to evacuate were sent to residents and visitors in the settlements Ramos, Livadakia, Karavi, Koutalas, Ganema, Vagia, Kalo Ambeli and Livadi.
The mayor in Serifos spoke of an active front of 15 kilometers and burned houses, warehouses, cottages and churches.
Kalo Ambeli on Sunday
Speaking to Skai TV on Saturday night, mayor of Serifos Konstantinos Revinthis spoke of a “biblical disaster. The front is 15 km active in its entirety. We are talking about a huge disaster. Burnt houses, burnt cottages, burnt warehouses.”
Serifos on Sunday
Fire fighters and volunteers fought with the flames throughout the night so that the fire had no active front by Sunday morning, except some isolated fire pockets still smoking in the burnt areas.
worth checking on Eco Serifos for more pictures and videos.
