San Francisco Frontiers - Blaze-hit Athens suburb trains to tackle new fire season

Suddenly, a plume of smoke rose from the pine forest -- a flare held aloft by a firefighter.

Within moments, sirens broke the morning silence. A dozen firefighters in helmets and breathing apparatus climbed the hill carrying hoses and extinguishers.

"Another fire?" the elderly resident of one house asked with annoyance.

"A simulation exercise," replied a Sunday jogger, running past without breaking her rhythm.

The residents of the affluent suburb north of the Greek capital, named Penteli after the mountain, have grown accustomed to firefighter exercises since many homes in the area were lost to flames last August.

The latest simulation was run by a team led by Apollon Kounis, 48, a resident and municipal employee who says he has "dedicated" himself to protecting the Penteli forest since his youth.

Twelve men, supported by three vehicles, took part in the exercise, part of a team of 100 volunteers from the nearby town of Rodopoli.

"This is our last exercise of the season before we begin 24/7 shifts at our emergency station next month," Kounis told AFP.

"Since 2018, I haven't taken a summer vacation. Saving the forest is my life."

- 'Save what remains' -

Greece suffers forest fires every summer, a threat exacerbated by rising temperatures and drought brought about by the climate crisis, experts say.

Nearly 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) in the Athens region burned last year in a fire that started in Varnavas, 35 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of the capital.

It was attributed to a short circuit on an electricity pole.

Fuelled by strong winds, the fire spread within hours across the eastern part of Penteli, destroying shops, homes and vehicles within 15 kilometres of central Athens.

"Last year's fire was the most catastrophic I've ever experienced," Kounis said.

The cisterns and fire hoses maintained by several Penteli residents were little help.

Penteli's Mayor Natassa Kosmopoulou hopes increased rainfall since January will give some protection this time after last summer's prolonged drought.

"We've always had fires in Penteli, but in recent years the fires have been very intense due to climate change," she told AFP at her office.

Standing before a desk filled with papers and files, Kosmopoulou said she "battles daily with forestry services responsible for clearing ravines that are often ignition points".

The mayor argues that forest roads and firebreak zones "are insufficient". Access is difficult "to certain areas of Penteli where debris, tyres, anything you can imagine, has been dumped".

Kounis, the volunteer firefighter, believes "this summer won't be as catastrophic".

But "we must stay on alert to save what remains," he said.

- Heartache -

Rising to an altitude of 1,100 meters, and home to hospitals and clinics because of its pure air, Mount Penteli is now strewn with charred tree branches and trunks where bulldozers have yet to remove the debris.

On the mountain crest, the yellow of broom bushes and the red of poppies contrast with the scorched earth.

Lower down in the residential area, Tryfonas Drakonakis strolled along a path at the edge of the charred forest where a butterflies fluttered about.

The silence, in the absence of birds, was filled by the hum of electric pylons.

"I try not to look around. I try to forget," said the septuagenarian, considering himself fortunate that his house escaped the flames last summer.

His neighbour Thomais Bertou was not so lucky -- her home was reduced to ashes along with about 40 others.

The 65-year-old now lives in a caravan in front of the ruins and spends her days tending to her small garden.

"There's nothing left. We had to start from scratch" she said. "What else can I do? I steel my heart and keep going."

L.Nguyen--SFF