The Greek Minister of Defence, Nikos Dendias, on Friday announced an urgent inquiry into fires that erupted at the munitions’ storage camp of the military airport base for the Tactical Air Force’s 111 Combat Wing.
“I have requested a review of the fire safety plans of all camps and the three branches of the Armed Forces. I want to assure you that the safety of personnel, facilities, and equipment is always a priority,” said Dendias. “What happened will be thoroughly investigated. If there is any blame, it will be apportioned in full,” he added.
A fire on July 26 in the area of Magnesia was pushed by winds to the east, and on Thursday spread to an ammunitions warehouse of the 111th Fighter Wing of the Air Force in Nea Aghialo.
Loud explosions followed and windows were shattered miles away. The Ministry for Climate Change and Civil Protection ordered the evacuation of nearby areas while all aircraft at Nea Aghialos airport were relocated.
According to the fire service, the fire in Magnesia seems to have come under control but there are still outbreaks in rural areas. Civil protection forces, volunteers and residents, fought through Thursday night to contain blazes in Rhodes, Lamia, Corfu and Karystos [Evia]. According to the Fire Service, the picture on all fronts is now better.
The 13 major fires that broke out this July in Greece, according to the National Observatory of Athens, have burned more than 43,412 hectares, or 434,120 acres. In Magnesia alone, 80 per cent of livestock was destroyed. Two pilots died after a firefighting plane crashed.
The centre-right government of PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis has received criticism for the alleged lack of a fire prevention plan.
“The government .. has enormous responsibilities for the fact that the country has been burning from one end to the other for ten days, to the point that even sensitive military installations have been left unprotected and thousands of people are at risk,” the opposition SYRIZA party said.
“The assurances of Mr. Mitsotakis about the readiness of the state apparatus collapsed, and the complete inability of the so-called staff state to deal with the fires was revealed,” SYRIZA added. — BALKAN INSIGHT
