The apocalyptic fire that swept through Mount Kruja caused panic among the residents of the area as the flames quickly approached residential areas. The horror experienced is also evident in the testimonies of the residents, who have shared their experiences.
In addition to homes, businesses and olive groves were also at risk. According to residents, the damage is considerable.
One of them declared that the firefighters arrived too late.

The old woman was crying in the house, saying: "Let us burn inside." This is the shocking testimony of a resident who experienced the moments of horror up close, as flames surrounded the apartments and forced the residents to fight on their own to save their homes and family members.

According to him, the fire spread within minutes and completely surrounded the apartment.

"To be honest, within five minutes of there, they came and completely surrounded the house. We all took precautions, brought a truck with two buckets of water, and we completely controlled the situation ourselves."

The resident denounces the delay of the fire trucks, saying that they arrived after the flames had progressed significantly.

"The firefighters arrived very late. After the fire was completely out, they only came to put out the small fires, because we had completely contained the fire ourselves."

Faced with the spread of the flames, families were forced to evacuate their children and relatives, while the men of the area organized themselves to fight the fire.

"We went out, took the children out, and everything, with great embarrassment. The men came, and we took the children we had been holding. It was a horror we had never seen."

He indicates that the fire spread in several directions, endangering not only homes, but also water supply warehouses and other businesses in the area.

"It took this part of the olive grove. It also went into both wings. The fire started all around the house, it continued and took the water supply warehouses, the other offices there even further. It was an unprecedented chaos. An unprecedented chaos. It has never been this bad before."

Another problem during the emergency was the evacuation of residents. According to testimony, roads were blocked and fire trucks had difficulty entering the area.

"The whole neighborhood was being evacuated, the fire department roads were blocked, there was no way for the firefighters to get in. There were all these people... who could escape first, the whole neighborhood was terrified."

The flames also reached a tailor's shop, while two electrical cabinets located near the apartments posed a serious risk. According to the resident, the intervention of OSHEE employees made it possible to avoid an even more serious situation.

"There's a tailor shop over there... they were completely afraid that it would explode there too. Behind the house, there are two electrical cabinets, if they exploded it could cause a catastrophe. If it were the OSHEE guys, they would have lowered their knives and the situation was resolved."

Even after the main flames had passed, the situation had not fully returned to normal. Debris near the factory continued to burn gradually, while residents worked to remove materials that could pose a risk.

"There are remains of the tailoring factories there, and they are burning slowly, gradually."

But the greatest damage to the residents is economic and ecological. After the houses, the fire has destroyed the area's olive groves, wiping out centuries-old trees.

Asked about the extent of the damage, the resident responds with a testimony that clearly shows the consequences of the fire:

"Is there an assessment for this kind of damage? See for yourself, see."

And in front of the burnt olive trees, he points out that they are trees over 100 years old.

"You can see the entire olive grove as it was. They've been completely, completely, completely destroyed."

“The olive trees are centuries old, over 100 years old. Over 100 years old. They have been planted… in a word, since the 40s.”

A testimony that shows not only the extent of the damage caused by the flames, but also the anxiety of the residents who, at the most critical moments, faced the fire near their homes, while trying to save their family members and property.
Another consequence of the fires that leaves behind not only material damage, but also strong question marks over how the emergency and intervention on the ground were managed.