Gains and losses from a fire

Knowing the heavy history of the fires in the mountainous Pantokrator would have been enough to prevent the Region's smug announcement on Sunday afternoon about its readiness, compared apparently with the disturbing images from the ongoing drama in Rhodes! But with such temperatures and for so many days, you can't risk it. The signs were ignored and soon the vigilant and alert Corfu was experiencing the nightmare of the fires.

The burned area, photographed in the evening and combined with the evacuation alert, especially the images of the hotel evacuations, put Corfu in the news, which, given their distance, showed that it was like Rhodes - at the mercy of the wildfires. But that is not the case! Neither in Corfu, of course, nor in Rhodes - despite the greater extent of the fire in the latter! An overall picture of the situation could restore perceptions and balance, but who sees the whole picture, renouncing the lust of destruction, which, as we know, is more easily transmitted and accepted? The same applies to the rest of the country's media, whose representatives, of course known for their validity, were forced to change their articles the next day. But has anyone thought how much this communication damage costs?

As obvious as the protection of human life is, as obvious were the improvised evacuations, at least as far as Corfu is concerned, as well as the improvised operations to stop the fire. The abovementioned may be proof of the interest and volunteerism from every corner of the island - and not exclusively from the affected areas - but the obvious improvisation in the absence of an organised and well-worked plan reduced its effectiveness. The many fire fronts in the country are a good excuse but do not justify the lack of organisation. Let noone bother to refute it, there is too many evidence!

In a tourist destination, the result of an operation to deal with a natural disaster is not limited to the obvious, but extends to the cost, gains and losses of the management itself, not just the outcome, which inevitably weighs more heavily. At first, the heroism shown stands out, but every aspect of the case is counted in the final outcome both now and over time.

GIORGOS KATSAITIS