Residents and infrastructure in the fire-hit areas of Saktouria and Gianniou will receive additional protection ahead of the autumn rains, following the approval of €200,000 in funding for flood and erosion-control measures.
The funding, approved by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, will support the necessary studies and interventions in areas of the Municipality of Agios Vasilios affected by the devastating July 29 wildfire.
The Fire Created a New Risk
While the wildfire has been extinguished, the loss of vegetation has left the burned slopes more vulnerable to runoff, flooding and soil erosion when heavy rainfall returns.
The priority now is to protect settlements, infrastructure and the surrounding natural environment before intense winter weather puts additional pressure on the damaged landscape.
Forestry Officials Assessed the Damage
The funding follows an on-site inspection carried out after the fire by Georgios Papadopoulos, head of the Directorate for Coordination and Forest Inspection, and Nikos Voltyrakis, head of the Rethymno Forestry Directorate.
Officials assessed the condition of the burned areas and identified locations where intervention is considered most urgent.
The assessment focused particularly on the consequences of vegetation loss and the need for timely flood and erosion protection.
€200,000 for Saktouria and Gianniou
Following the inspection and assessment of local needs, €200,000 was approved for the necessary procedures and interventions in Saktouria and Gianniou.
Mayor of Agios Vasilios Giannis Tatarkis said the municipality had treated post-fire protection as an immediate priority from the first days after the disaster.
“The fire may have been extinguished, but the loss of vegetation creates new risks, particularly as rainfall approaches.”
Tatarkis said the process was initiated during Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis’s visit to the municipality and the fire-affected areas. He thanked Hatzidakis, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the forestry officials involved in the assessment.
The municipality is now pushing to expedite the procedures so that the required interventions can be completed before heavy rainfall creates new problems in areas already weakened by the fire.
For southern Crete, the post-fire danger does not end when the flames disappear. Burned landscapes can remain exposed to flooding and erosion long after the emergency crews leave.
The €200,000 is therefore an important first step in protecting Saktouria and Gianniou as they enter their first wet season after the July fire.
