Anti-flooding measures; new threat caused by fires

ATHENS, Greece: Fears grew Tuesday that flooding could hit charred regions of Greece ravaged by 11 days of devastating forest fires that have left thousands homeless and villages destroyed.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was to meet cabinet members in Athens Tuesday to decide additional relief measures.

Anti-flooding works were to start Tuesday on the central island of Evia after projects began Monday in the Peloponnese, to the south, concentrated around Ancient Olympia. The archaeological site survived the fires but the surrounding region was badly scorched.

They were the two regions worst hit by fires that burned up to a half-million acres of forest and farmland.

Fires were reported late Monday near Preveza, in west-central Greece, and near Epidaurus to the south. While major fires were all but out, fire officials warned that smoldering embers could easily re-ignite.

Meteorologists were predicting rain for northern and western Greece Tuesday, spreading south by Wednesday. While hopeful of wetter weather, they also feared downpours could cause flooding in fire-ravaged areas. Parts of northern Greece were hit by heavy rains and flooding on Sunday.

The wildfires in Greece also drew the attention of the European Union Monday.

In Strasbourg, France, members of the European Parliament criticized the Greek government's response to the fires and blamed land speculation and mass tourism for the devastation.

"Legal loopholes are in part responsible for these horrible fires. Property speculation must be rejected," said German Green lawmaker Elisabeth Schroedter.

MEPs called for a more efficient and coordinated fire-prevention system in Greece. The debate came as Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis was appealing in Brussels for a more coordinated, EU-wide response mechanism for natural disasters.

Late Monday Petros Molyviatis, a former foreign minister heading up a special fire emergency fund, said Greeks had donated around €62 million euros (US$84.4 million) so far.

The government also announced Monday that more than 45,000 people suffering fire damage had received more than €165 million (US$224 million) from a compensation program launched last week, and that more than 200 people had returned funds they were not entitled to.

Archbishop Christodoulos, the head of the Orthodox Church in Greece and who is in the U.S. receiving cancer treatment, said Monday he believed arson was to blame for many of the fires.

Fires under control except Mount Parnon

ATHENS (AFP) — A fire raged in Mount Parnon near the Greek town of Sparta for a ninth day Sunday but other blazes in the devastated Mediterranean country were under control, the fire services said.

Four water-bombing planes and a helicopter were deployed early Sunday to battle the blames around Mount Parnon but no villages were threatened, a spokesman for the fire service said.

"This day will be difficult again because we expect strong winds in the country's west, including the Peloponnese," he said but underlined that temperatures were expected to be lower in the Athens region.

The Peloponnese inferno started on August 24 in the wake of a heatwave, the third to hit Greece since the beginning of the summer. The fires have claimed at least 63 lives and destroyed 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) of forests and farmland.

Greece was plunged into a national disaster as villages were consumed by flames that moved faster than a car and people were burned to death as they attempted to escape.

Two other planes and three helicopters were meanwhile dispatched Sunday to fight fires in the ancient town of Megalopolis and Karytaina in the central region of Arcadia and nearby Messenia, he said.

The official said three other fires which broke out nine days ago in the island of Eubee were still burning but under "partial control."

Two other blazes in Ionnina and Kilkis had been contained but a new one that broke out on Saturday in the northern prefecture of Imathia would be put under control later in the day, he added.

Strong winds cause more fires in Greece

Saturday, 1 September 2007 17:40

Strong winds are reported to have reinvigorated forest fires in parts of Greece.

Authorities say winds and high temperatures have led to new fires breaking out.

More than a week after the start of blazes that have ravaged land across the country, killing at least 63 people and forcing thousands from their homes, two fire fronts are still burning on the southern Peloponnese Peninsula.

A helicopter has rescued five firefighters and 17 civilians who had been fighting a blaze in the Parnonas mountain region.

It is expected that it will take several days to bring the fires under control.

Temperatures rising to 40C and strong winds are hindering the battle against the fires.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis toured the devastated areas today with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Estimates of damage to the economy range from €1.2bn to €4bn.

The Commission has said it could provide up to €200m from the EU 'solidarity fund'.

The Greek opposition socialist PASOK party has slammed Mr Karamanlis's handling of the disaster.

Many villages had to face the fires without help for several days.

But the Prime Minister, who said arsonists were to blame, has called for national unity. His administration has doled out at least €107m in compensation so far.

The last opinion polls showed his ruling New Democracy party keeping around a two percentage point lead over PASOK but support for both parties has waned since the fires began.

A general election will be held on 16 September.

Information gathered from:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0901/greece.html