Mysteries of the Pentelian fires: what are the three common elements of all disasters

The Penteli fire is on the wane and is soon expected to be added to the long list of fires that have hit the ill-fated mountain.

Nevertheless, fires in the region of this mountain have three common elementsand at some point the state will have to give satisfactory answers why they occur.

The first: all fires start after five o’clock in the afternoon, that is, a few hours before dark, and therefore air means cannot be sufficiently used and extinguished before they turn into “monsters”. Because everyone knows that without aviation means, forest fires throw a “party” at night.

Second: fires always start on a day with strong or gusty winds. Those who have seen fires up close know that a strong wind helps not only to “ignite”, but also “move” the fire further. Distances of ten kilometers, the fire flashes in a matter of minutes, and many times it is difficult for the human mind to understand and cope with this, except when they see the fire outside their window.

Third: where do fires start in Penteli? From Dow Penteli. Perhaps the soil morphology helps them spread to more places, etc.

But the bottom line is this: we have a fire that “chooses” when to start and where. In fact, with regard to time, we can say that almost all fires in Greece start at this time. And this is a question that the competent authorities of the state will someday have to give us an answer.

PS On the morning of July 18, the Athens Observatory released a forecast indicating the location of the highest risk of fires:

“The fire developing in Penteli is located in one of the areas that were marked as having a very high risk according to the BEYOND Operational Unit IAADET / EAA daily fire forecast model released on July 18, 2022 (16:00)”.

No preventive measures were taken, and even the local fire departments were not put on high alert. On the maps published by the firefighters, this area (like the whole of Attica) was indicated in the 4th, and not the 5th category (maximum level) of danger, as it should have been done, taking into account the recommendations of specialists.

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