Man dies in fire raging on Mt. Parnitha, at least 15 homes have burned, arson suspected

    Man dies in fire raging on Mt. Parnitha, at least 15 homes have burned, arson suspected

   

    The charred body of a 40-year-old man was found inside the forest area after a large fire broke out Wednesday in a forest expanse on Mt. Parnitha.

    A senior Fire Brigade officer told ANA that the fire broke out in forestland at Metochi, on Mt. Parnitha, near the funicular cablecar, and that more than 110 firefighters with 35 firefighting vehicles were tackling the blaze, assisted by six planes and three helicopters spraying water over the blaze, while reinforcements had also been despatched to the area, but despite the massive firefighting operation the flames spread, aided by strong winds, and at least 15 residences were reported to have burned, the Fire Brigade said.

    The officer told ANA that strong winds had fanned the flames, which quickly spread, and the blaze was now threatening a popularted area in Thrakomakedones on the foothills of Mt. Parnitha.

    According to the mayor of Menidi, where Thrakomakedones belongs administratively, several houses had burned but the exact number was not known.

    Local residents took to the streets in panic, and were hosing down their yards and homes with water to avert the flames.

    The Fire Brigade official said that thick growth in the area and strong winds were fanning the blaze, while the high winds and low visibility due to heavy smoke also hampered firefighting planes and helicopters from approaching the site to spray water, as pilots could not target. Winds and smoke had diminished somewhat at one point, the officer said, enabling the aircraft to spray water, but the fire front had already spread to 2 1/2 kilometers. Reinforcements have also arrived on foot, while local residents were also assisting in the operation.

    Winds later renewed their velocity, again hampering the firefighting operation, especially by air, and the fire was blazing under control

    The Fire Brigade officer said the fire front had been somewhat contained after the first sprayings with water, and it was hoped that the continued spraying of water by air, combined with the land-based efforts and additional spraying of tons of water over the homes closest to the fire by Russian specialised forest fire-fighting aircraft would avert the burning of more homes.

    The police's elite 'Z squad' motorcycle police have also been mobilised to evacuate residents, as plans were to drop tons of water over homes closest to the fire by Russian specialised forest fire-fighting aircraft, in order to avoid possible injury from the pressure of the water being dropped on their homes by the low-flying aircraft.

    Both the Fire Brigade officer and Menidi mayor questioned the fact that the fire had broken out simultanously in 6-7 different spots, and informally put forward the possiblity of arson. Police were combing the area for suspects.