Fires in Greece

[CFS_Firey]

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The death toll in Greece's forest fires reached at least 59 as European Union nations sent fire- fighting planes and a blaze damaged the site of the ancient Olympic games.

High temperatures and strong winds contributed to the spread of more than 220 blazes across the country since Aug. 24. "We have every reason to believe it won't stop here," Health Ministry official Panos Efstathiou said yesterday by phone, detailing the casualties.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis mobilized the army to battle the flames after declaring a state of emergency that allowed the government to requisition private property and labor. Karamanlis, who faces an election on Sept. 16, put the entire country on alert and called on citizens to assist firefighters.

"This is an indescribable national tragedy, and my pain and my anger are as deep as yours," Karamanlis said in a televised statement.

Flames trapped people who tried to flee in their cars, save their homes and fields or rescue others. Several villages in central and southern Greece were evacuated. About 60 people were hospitalized and dozens reported missing.

"Many people were surprised, panicked or refused to leave their homes," fire service spokesman Nikolaos Diamantis said yesterday in a televised news conference. Arson is suspected in many of the fires, he said.

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I wish the Greek authorities best of luck and safety.  From what I hear, the Greek fire service isn't very well kitted out for rural fires - they mostly rely on their huge water bombing fleet.

[Zippy]

Let's send TFT branches over there!  would certainly help them!

Very very tough times over there in greece atm  :-(

[RescueHazmat]

3 F/F's so far LODD.


RIP.

[misterteddy]

anyone interested in going over for a cpl of weeks? Pay your own way etc Leave a message if you are and we'll be in contact

[mack]

mmm not going particularly well over there for them is it....



misterteddy - LMFAO....  :roll:

[misterteddy]

guess it's easier to laugh your arse off than do anything else constructive....

[mack]

lol - sorry its just such a stupid thing to say is all...

[filtered]

lol - sorry its just such a stupid thing to say is all...

Hmm, going over on your own and rogueing it seems really constructive...

Sounds like an easy way to waste your money, get in the authorities way and get yourself killed...

[filtered]

Let's send TFT branches over there!  would certainly help them!

From the sounds of the situation they are going to need a lot more than a couple of extra branches to remedy it...

[RescueHazmat]

anyone interested in going over for a cpl of weeks? Pay your own way etc Leave a message if you are and we'll be in contact

What if you get hurt? What insurace company is going to cover you for any injuries you may receive? ..

[wilma]

10 news reported tonight mike rann offered money plus man power

[RescueHazmat]

10 news reported tonight mike rann offered money plus man power

If you went with a proper deployment, then you would be covered.. But I certainly wouldnt rogue it !

[uniden]

10 news reported tonight mike rann offered money plus man power

But the CFS has its budget reduced???

[rescue5271]

A Sad time for all but I have to ask where does the goverment get the 100,000 to give them when budgets have been cut??? I am sure if they ask for crews people will put there hands up to go,But by the look of it BYO appliances or tree branch.

[SA Firey]

Three people were killed today in a headon collision with a Fire Appliance in thick smoke, and were incinerated after the event. :-o

One casualty managed to escape the inferno after the collision

[littlejohn]

RC mentioned last night that Oz is sending 8 people over, including a fire prevention officer.

If you've got a passport & a hint of spanish, stick your hand up! That ought to be a easy job for a while (after the fire's out).

ola.

[Pipster]

Pity the guys in Greece don't speak Spanish!!!     :evil: :-D

Pip

[uniden]

Pity the guys in Greece don't speak Spanish!!!     :evil: :-D

Pip

You could hop across to Spain. They have a decent fire there too, as mentioned on tonights news.

[rescue5271]

I guess they will be looking for new up to date fire appliances.....

[littlejohn]

Pity the guys in Greece don't speak Spanish!!!     :evil: :-D

Pip

You could hop across to Spain. They have a decent fire there too, as mentioned on tonights news.

Hmm, brain in neutral??! Either I wasn't paying attention (entirely possible after a group meeting), or I'm going to the wrong country.

[Robert-Robert34]

I guess they will be looking for new up to date fire appliances.....

How about they invest in getting a fleet or two of the fire king trucks made to make their fire fighting easier  :-)

[bajdas]

Hopefully lessons can be learned to prevent the tragic loss of life in any country from an emergency incident.

I hope SA authorities are watching & learning to review procedures, etc.

I noticed in TV news reports that PPE, equipment, trucks, aerial support & public knowledge (eg go before or stay) seem vastly different when comparing European countries to Australia.

Maybe we are not so bad off when you compare.

[filtered]

Sounds like Croatia is copping it as well...

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Firefighters-die-battling-Croatian-fire/2007/08/31/1188067317169.html

Five firefighters died and 14 were injured on Thursday evening as they were encircled by a forest fire on Croatia's central island of Kornati, the state-run news agency HINA and other local media reported.

Police in the nearby city of Sibenik only confirmed that 14 firefighters were injured at the island of Kornat and there was no immediate official confirmation of the deaths, which were reported by HINA, the state-run Croatian television and two other TV channels.

Zeljko Sosa, a local firefighting official, said the wind apparently suddenly changed its course, spreading the fire that then trapped the firefighters inside the firing circle.

Private TV RTL said all five dead were members of the local volunteer firefighting brigade and that they were in their 20s.

Among the 14 injured, four are in a life-threatening condition, said a doctor on duty in the clinic in Zadar, a city on the coast across from Kornat where most of the injured are being treated. He spoke on customary condition of anonymity.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader was heading to Zadar to visit those injured overnight, the government said in a statement.

The fire was still raging on the island, which has only hundreds of residents.

Croatia has battled a record number of fires this summer, but mostly only in forests.

Before Thursday's incident at Kornat, a firefighter who died on Wednesday while putting down the fire on another island was the only casualty of those fires.

[CFS_Firey]

I wonder if they're taught about the dead man zone in Europe...

[SA Firey]

I guess they will be looking for new up to date fire appliances.....

They could send some of the older Hinos there would be an improvement on what they have.