Naxos: new 12,000-litre fire tanker

A new fire tanker with a capacity of 12,000 litres of water has been stationed in Naxos since Thursday, August 20. According to Cyclades24, it is one of 14 new tankers of the same capacity acquired through the “AEGIS” programme and being distributed to Fire Services on the mainland and on the islands. The vehicle is not meant for the first response to a fire front but functions as a mobile water reserve that resupplies the smaller, more agile vehicles — those that approach the fire and operate on the front line. Its arrival comes in the heart of the fire season, in the weeks of highest risk for the Aegean islands. It was not accompanied by a named statement from an official or an announcement of a handover ceremony, and it has not been made known whether more vehicles of the same type will follow to islands in the Cyclades.

Tankers of this size have a specific role in wildfire suppression. The vehicles that respond first to a fire front are smaller and lighter, so they can move on dirt roads and narrow passages, and for that reason carry a limited amount of water. Once they run out, they must withdraw from the fire and look for a refill point, a trip that on mountainous or hard-to-reach terrain can take considerable time and pulls crews away from the field exactly when they are needed most. A twelve-tonne vehicle stationed near the incident functions as an intermediate reservoir: the small vehicles fill up on site and return quickly, without losing time travelling to and from the nearest water source. The “AEGIS” programme, through which the 14 vehicles were acquired, concerns the renewal and reinforcement of equipment for the security and civil protection services.

For Naxos, the addition has practical significance stemming from the island’s geography. Naxos is the largest island in the Cyclades by area, with a mountainous interior and with Zas, the highest peak of the island group, while many settlements are several kilometres from Chora and the port, where the main services are concentrated. Much of the farmland and forest lies on slopes with terraces, dry-stone walls and narrow farm tracks, and the points from which a vehicle can draw sufficient water are not densely spread. Under these conditions, every resupply trip costs time that a fire exploits, especially in strong winds. The island has faced a wildfire on farmland this year, as in the case of the fire at Mikri Vigla, now under control, while the Cyclades have repeatedly been placed at very high fire risk.

It has not been announced which Fire Service on the island the new vehicle will be permanently assigned to, nor whether it will be moved according to the daily risk assessment or remain fixed at the same base. It has also not been made known whether its arrival comes with additional personnel, a factor that determines how often such a vehicle can operate, since its value depends on crew availability and on the points where it will itself be resupplied. The fire season continues until the end of October, a period in which operational readiness stays at a heightened level. Coordination of forces belongs to the Fire Service, in cooperation with the municipality and volunteer groups, while citizens are urged to report any fire immediately by calling 199, as the time of the first report remains the most critical factor.