The fire season in Greece starts on Monday, May 1, and lasts until October 31, 2023 and the Civil Protection mechanism is in full readiness the institution ηασ has announced. The strategic planning is based on the new doctrine of Prevention, Preparation/Readiness in combination with the Immediate Response to emergencies …
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Greek state appeals Mati fire compensation for victims
The state has lodged an appeal against the only, so far, court decision awarding compensation to relatives of victims of the deadly fire in Mati, East Attica, in 2018. In December 2022, the court awarded 300,000 euros to five relatives of a 77-year-old woman from Neos Voutzas who burned to …
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Court rules compensation to relatives of Mati disaster victim
An Athens court has ruled that the state must pay 300,000 euros in emotional distress damages to the relatives of a 77-year-old woman who died in the eastern Attica wildfires of Mati on 23 July 2018. Five relatives of the victim, who died after leaving her home in the settlement …
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Van on fire moves downhill out of control in Rethymno (video)
A van caught fire and started moving backwards and downhill on a street in the city of Rethymno in the island of Crete on Thursday morning. The 70-year-old driver managed to get of the moving vehicle without injuries. Without the driver and out of control, the van continued its route …
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Trial for deadly fire in Mati begins and adjourns due to small courtroom
The trial of 21 people facing charges over the deadly forest fire that swept through the seaside town of Mati on July 23, 2018 began in Athens on Monday, October 31, in a courtroom busting with people, woefully inadequate given the size and the complexity of the case: a national …
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Forest fire on Zakynthos; 133 wildfires in last 24 hours (video)
A big forest fire is raging in a difficult to access area on the island of Zakynthos on Monday, with firefighters and aerial means to try to combat the blaze and hinder it from reaching residential area. The fire broke out short after 4 o’ clock in the afternoon and …
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Domestic violence: Man abducts ex wife, rapes her and sets her hair on fire
A 28-year-old woman experienced the sheer horror when the ex husband abducted her, beat her and raped her and threatened to set her on fire thus put her hair on fire with a lighter. The new shocking case of domestic violence took place in Corinth, north-eastern Peloponnese, when the 33-year-old …
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Four sailing boats on fire at Corfu marina Gouvia (picts, vids)
Four sailing boats were engulfed in flames when a fire broke out at the Gouvia marina on the island of Corfu short after 4:00 pm on Wednesday, the Fire Brigade reported. The fire spread quickly from a 20-meter-long sailing vessel to adjacent boats within seconds. According to local media, the …
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Thassos Fire: Elderly man arrested as main suspect for two arson UPDATE
A man was detained as suspect for the big fire on the island of Thassos and quickly his detention turned into his arrest. There is strong evidence that the man is responsible not only for one but for two forest fires in the same area within a week. The 65-year-old …
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UPDATE 3 Forest fire is raging on Thassos: Village evacuated; 2 injured (videos)
A forest fire on the island of Thassos is out of control on Thursday morning despite the strengthening of the fire fighting forces and the aerial means. One village has been ordered to evacuate. Two volunteers were injured. The fire broke out in a dense pine forest and in difficult …
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Forest fire on Zakynthos: Residents and tourists ordered to evacuate
Residents and tourists at the village Megala Alonia -Megaloni – were ordered to evacuate due to a wildfire that broke out in the northern part of the island of Zakynthos short before Wednesday noon. Residents have received a message via the 112 emergency number to evacuate toward the village of …
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Fire burns the dense forest of the island of Samothrace (videos)
A wildfire broke out at a remote and difficult to access area on the island of Samothraki in northern Greece on Tuesday morning. The fire is burning in the area of Piges Vathras Prinos on the north side of the island. The forest is reportedly dense and land forces cannot …
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UPDATE Fire in West Attica forces evacuation, partial closure of Athens-Corinth highway
A forest fire broke out near the Elefsina toll station on the Athens-Corinth national highway, forcing authorities to shut down traffic in a part of the highway and ordering the evacuation of a nearby settlement. The fire broke out in low vegetation area, three kilometers from the Elefsina toll around …
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Valia Calda National Forest in N. Greece is burning for 12th consecutive day
The wildfire in the national forest of Valia Calda on the mountain of Pindos Northern Greece, continues to burn for 12th consecutive day. Valia Calda, a unique wildlife refuge, is home of over 80 bird species several of them protected. Eagles, hawks, falcons, otters, roe deer, wildcats, bears and more …
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Lesvos Fire: Hotel, Vatera village evacuated, two house burned down (vid)
LESVOS FIRE VATERA: A hotel facility was evacuated as the flames were nearing and the preventive evacuation of Vatera village was ordered Saturday noon as the big fire that broke in the morning in the area of Rogada Polichnitos was out of control. Two houses have been burned down. One …
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UPDATE Fire in virgin forest of Dadia, one of most unique ecosystems worldwide (videos)
A major ecological disaster in one of the most unique ecosystems at national, European and international level, is going on in north-eastern Greece: the virgin forest of Dadia, in the core of the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli National Park in Evros is on fire. The Park is protected by NATURA 2000 and is …
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With watering cans and garden hoses policemen battled the Athens fire
Without proper equipment and special training, however, armed with garden hoses, sprinkling cans and water buckets they probably found on the sport, carrying their weapons and wearing their helmets, Greek policemen did whatever they could to help contain the big wildfire raging at Penteli mountain in the northern outskirts of …
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Athens Observatory warned about risk of Penteli fire a day earlier
The National Observatory of Athens had warned since July 18 about the risk of a fire breaking out on Penteli mountain and Attica, already a day earlier, on July 18, 2022. Among the areas that were in danger was Daou on Penteli Mt. where the fire broke out at 5:15 …
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Op-Ed: Civil Protection Minister rules out “lightning” as cause of Athens fire
“Investigations have ruled out lightning or a short circuit as the causes of Tuesday’s Penteli fire in North-East Athens,” Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides said at an extraordinary life briefing on Wednesday afternoon. It was certainly a surprise for the former EU Commissioner to have to rule out “lightning” on …
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Athens Fire: 45 citizens in hospitals, one with serious burn injuries
The number of citizens from the fire fronts areas in North-East Athens who have been transferred to hospitals of the Greek capital rose to 45 on Wednesday evening, media reported. Among them are three people with burn injuries, one of them is in serious condition. The majority of hospital admission …
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