Burned for 4 days, the plane coming from Greece 'rescued' Sazani from the flames in just a few hours. Why 'Cougar' helicopters were not used

The fires on the island of Sazan are neutralized after 4 days under the power of the flames.   

Only today, in the early hours of the morning, Greece came to the aid of Albania to extinguish the flames on the island, finally intervening from the air.

After several hours of intervention, the situation is under control says the ministry in the official announcement.

"The fires on the island of Sazan are neutralized, after an uninterrupted work from the ground and air. 122 members of the Armed Forces, 9 vehicles, 2 ships were engaged in the operation launched three days ago to extinguish the flames. The intervention from the air started this morning. The Canadair CL 415 aircraft, which came as support from Greece, within the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, also joined the ground forces " , the Ministry of Defense announced this afternoon.

Earlier, the Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi announced that Greece has brought a Canadair CL 415 aircraft to make it possible to extinguish the fire from the air, as according to him it was the experts who assessed the need for air intervention.

"Greece immediately responded positively to our request to engage today, early in the morning, a Canadair CL 415 aircraft to extinguish the fire in Sazan. The experts assessed that it is necessary to intervene from the air with a large amount of water, but the work of the forces on the ground remains essential. "Thanks to our partners of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism for the unstinting assistance in such emergencies and not only", the minister wrote yesterday on social networks.

The shortcoming that the fire in Sazan highlighted

On the ground, dozens of soldiers, employees of the Administration of Protected Areas and the Coast Guard faced the flames equipped with shovels and handguns, while the action was hampered by the constant explosion of ammunition, but again the flames just came and swallowed everything that u dilte para.

Emergjenca e shkaktuar nga zjarri në ishullin e Sazanit e ktheu sërish vëmendjen te mungesa e flotës së helikopterëve “Cougar”.

Opozita u ndal konkretisht në këtë problematikë. Kryetarja e Lëvizjes Socialiste për Integrim, Monika Kryemadhi në një postim dje në Facebook bënte me dije se nga 4 helikopterë “Cougar” që ka Shqipëria, asnjë nuk është funksional.

Sipas saj, 2 janë në Poloni, në servis, një tjetër ka dy vjet në Itali, pasi ka bërë ulje të detyrueshme në kthim nga Franca, ndërsa i katërti është në Farkë, sapo është kthyer nga servisi në Zvicër, por nuk fluturon se ka rrjedhje vaji.

Pavarësisht, se Shqipëria disponon në statistika helikopterë “Cougar”, në raste emergjencash nuk u vunë në përdorim.

From the fire, dozens of centuries-old pines have been burned in Sazan, while during these days there have been reports of ammunition explosions as the island years ago was a military base.