“The fire got inside, I got burned all over” – Heartbreaking testimonies from Salamina residents

Residents describe the dramatic moments they experienced in Salamina, where the fire burned homes and forest land in the areas of Peristeria and Selinia, leaving two dead in its wake. Heartrending images show the burnt landscape following the deadly passage of the fire.

The unfortunate couple, aged 91 and 72, was found dead by firefighting forces in their house, which was located a stone’s throw from the origin of the fire in the Peristeria area.

Additionally, ten people were injured, most of them with burns though not in any life-threatening danger, while several homes were consumed by flames.

“The fire got inside, I got burned all over”

Among the residents in Peristeria, Salamina, who watched their homes be surrendered to the flames is Angelos Chatzis, a choreographer for the National Opera.

His home sustained severe damage, and he described to Orange Press Agency that he had returned from war-torn Ukraine just a few days prior.

“The damage is extensive. The entire tiled roof came off and collapsed. The fire grabbed the window, grabbed the balcony door, and got inside. Certain parts of the veranda were burned. Fortunately, the radiators and the fuel tank didn’t catch fire; I was lucky. But do you know what the paradox is? Just a week ago I came back from Odesa. As I was leaving, Odesa was bombed. As soon as I got here, something keeps happening. Today was the third bad event—it caught fire and we got burned. What else? From here on out, I’m throwing a little dirt over myself just to get used to it. What can I do? I have no other choice,” noted the well-known dancer and choreographer.

When the flames surrounded the building, Mr. Chatzis refused to abandon it, doing everything in his power to keep the house from burning down:

“I was inside, inside, inside. The police removed me by force. I wouldn’t leave because I was putting the fire out inside. Since my water supply was cut off, I had bottles of water and began putting them out slowly, even using my hands. I got burned all over. They pulled me out because if I had fallen asleep inside, the carbon dioxide would have put me to sleep and I would never have woken up again. It was extremely dangerous. They lifted me up and carried me out,” he said.

Video of the burnt areas in Salamina

As shown in the video by Orange Press Agency, the fire caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure. Most of the destruction was recorded in the Peristeria area, where the elderly couple was found dead. Homes, vehicles, the electrical grid, and telecommunications network suffered damage, while a significant portion of the forest was burned.

On-site inspections by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection on the island will begin immediately so that teams from the General Directorate for Natural Disaster Effects Restoration can make an accurate assessment of the damages in cooperation with the Municipality of Salamina. According to Deputy Minister Kostas Katsafados, who is traveling to the island, the ministry’s goal is to initiate the procedures for damage restoration and the payment of compensation to those affected as quickly as possible.

How the fires broke out

Based on data gathered so far, the fire in Peristeria, Salamina, appears to have started in a lot filled with garbage near Andromachis Street.

Specifically, according to Fire Service sources, a resident of Andromachis Street who reported the fire (at 14:43) to the Fire Department testified that the fire started in an adjacent plot on Andromachis Street that was full of trash.

The causes of the fire, combined with a second fire that broke out a few minutes later at 15:03 in the Kaki Vigla area of Selinia, are being investigated by the Arson Crimes Directorate, as the fire front spread rapidly.

Regarding the fire in Selinia, it may have started following a vehicle malfunction. The spot contained dry grass, forest vegetation, and debris, causing the fire from the vehicle to spread rapidly to the adjacent area and take on larger proportions.