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It will take quite a while for us, the inhabitants of Attica at least, to overcome the shock caused by the incineration of a significant portion of Mount Parnitha.

For reasons divorced from reality, we seemed to have been under the impression that Parnitha was protected against all harm by some invisible shield.

With many areas of the Mediterranean ablaze and hundreds of fires raging across Greece, it never crossed our minds that Parnitha might come to some harm; we felt certain that it would always be there, providing us not only with oxygen but also its unparallelled natural beauty. We were wrong.

Perhaps we should attribute the melodramatic hand-wringing that dominated most of the media the following day to our state of severe shock. We were bombarded with tidings of doom such as: “We have lost Parnitha” and “A century before the forest will grow back.”

But then again, how could any composed and sensible analysis possibly prevail in a country where public opinion is shaped by hysterical TV news bulletins?

The truth is that we have not lost Parnitha. A huge expanse of forestland, initial estimates put it at 4,000 hectares, has indeed been destroyed but not “all of Parnitha.” The mountain range that includes Parnitha covers some 30,000 hectares.

All this talk of having to wait a century before the forest grows back is pure nonsense. Parnitha is not just any old mountain. It is the highest in Attica, receives almost double the rainfall as the rest of Attica, some 800 centimeters per year, and, unlike other nearby mountainous areas such as Pendeli, it is not used for grazing purposes.

All these factors are anything but discouraging for hopes of regrowth. Parnitha could be green again in just five years if the right action is taken.

There is a problem with the fir trees, which do not grow back as easily as the pines. But Parnitha’s fir trees already had a problem even before the fire; one in four was already dead.

Nevertheless, someone said it would be a century before we get our forest back and so now we’re all saying that it will be 100 years, 200 years.

But we should not be distracted by figures. The media’s excesses may give vent to our anger but they are also dangerous. They inhibit our hopes for Parnitha’s future. After all, if 4,000 hectares have been destroyed, then there are at least a further 25,000 in the broader mountain range that need our protection more than ever.

The media, by delivering a disheartening outlook of the future, is discouraging the active citizen from contributing. It would be far more useful if the media were to project images of the little saplings that have already sprung up in Halkidiki, which was ravaged by fire last summer.

Rangers urged to be alert

Environmental group WWF called on the government yesterday to clearly demarcate the forest area razed in last week’s devastating fire on Mount Parnitha in order to help the ecosystem recover.

The fire that burnt some 4,200 hectares of the mountain, located north of Athens, has raised concerns about the environmental impact the lost forest will have on the capital, home to some 4 million people.

No corners should be cut in clearly designating the area that will be included in the national forest after the fire, said Dimitris Karavellas, head of WWF Hellas. Legal loopholes and poor government supervision often pave the way for illegal building activity in areas that were once home to forests.

Supreme Court prosecutor Giorgos Sanidas addressed a memo to all forest rangers yesterday urging them to be on alert for any illegal building activity and instructing them to demolish any such structures. If they fail to do so, Sanidas added, the rangers could face criminal charges.

Another measure proposed by the environmental group is to limit road access to the area. “We demand that the roads to the casino be closed at night. Access can be provided by the cable car,” said Karavellas.

The fire on Mount Parnitha, that took six days to control, reignited yesterday and started burning parts of the forest that managed to escape last week’s blaze. A total of eight planes and two helicopters dropped water on the blaze, officials said, and were quickly able to control the fire.

The government has refused to shoulder any blame for the blaze, arguing that recent high temperatures helped trigger the freak event. Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras told Parliament the blaze was an “act of God” and impossible to avoid. “Authorities had a well-structured plan and their efforts were well coordinated… We will not tolerate political attacks mounted from the ashes of Parnitha,” he said.