Considerable firefighting forces were operating Friday evening at scattered fire pockets in the areas of Gortynia, Ancient Olympia in Ilia and also in eastern Mani, all in the Peloponnese, but there is no large fire front there anymore, said the Fire Brigade.

In Gortynia and in neighboring prefecture Ilia, and also in specific areas in the municipality of Ancient Olympia, Greek firefighters have been strengthened by additional forces via the European Civil Protection RescEU:

– 35 firefighters and 14 fire engines from the Czech Republic

– 240 firefighters and 60 fire engines from France

– 244 firefighters and 56 fire engines from Germany

– 40 firefighters and 13 fire engines from Austria

Two water-dowsing aircraft and six helicopters are also flying over these areas, including volunteer firefighters and local authority water trucks, while the mobile center of operations ‘Olympos’ is also in the area.

 

In eastern Mani, 40 firefighters with 15 vehicles and a ground team are assisted by the Greek army, volunteer firefighters and local authority water trucks.

Another fire at the area of Drialia, also in eastern Mani, was being dealt with by 16 firefighters and 7 fire engines, and 2 helicopters that had to stop after sunset.

Gov’t measures for emergency compensation due to wildfires go into effect

The maximum compensation for an individual who lost homes or buildings during the wildfires in Greece these past two weeks is 120,000 euros for the first or emergency assistance, according to an act of law published in the Government Gazette on Friday.
The regulations cover anyone who was harmed by fires, from July 27 to August 13, the day the law went into effect.

Compensation cannot exceed 80% of the building’s value in total, and can be applied for both for the main and for other houses, including rentals. The owners of abandoned buildings are not entitled to emergency compensation.

An emergency one-off compensation will be available for professional buildings, provided they were not abandoned or the business inactive in the tax database.

Among others, the law also provides for destroyed home appliances, ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 euros, depending on the damages, and for damaged cultivations.

Other provisions also compensate people injured or who died, provisions to protect jobs, and property taxation suspension.