Hundreds of firefighters have been fighting all through the summer against the wildfires across Greece. Every summer the same story. They spend exhausting hours and even days inside the fire fronts that burn down hundreds of thousands of acres every year. They do more than just their best to prevent that the blaze swallows human, forests, properties and assets.

They deserve our gratitude and a tribute

Below is a video compiled by Luke Brown, a KTG reader.

“It is a tribute to the hero firefighters in Greece,” Brown wrote in a note to KTG adding that he video is compiled from footage he personally shot in the last five years he has been residing in Kefalonia.

1,200 seasonal firefighters have written a letter to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras complaining about low pay, despite the fact that they work full time during their 5-month contracts.

According to the letter, they earn 650 euro per month for 5 months, then unemployment allowance of 300 euros per month for three months and then “nothing.” They complain that they have not received payment for overtime, holidays, night work, off-site work.

They call on the prime minister to fulfill his elections promise that they would receive contracts for the whole year: 6 months at the fire brigades, 6 months at the Civil Protection.

“We do not leave a fire area until the last burning flame has been extinguished,” they stress and express their frustration that the state remembers them and show its gratitude only in the wildfire season, one-two months per year.

Visiting firefighters operating in Kalamos, northeastern Attica, last week, Tsipras told them “There is no price to pay for what you have done.”

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