ENVIRONMENT/ Together with the forests and the plots of hashish, the firefighters do not want to come down from the mountains

TIRANA/PUSTEC/VERMOSH - A serious environmental crisis is unfolding before the eyes of Albanians, with dozens of fire foci following each other from north to south.

Despite the help of the EU's Civil Emergency Mechanism, the flames continue to devour forests in Bulqiza, Pogradec, Finic, Prespa, Tomor and elsewhere. But the biggest problem, which the media with its shallowness does not report, is that together with forests and pastures, whole plots of hashish almost ready to be harvested are burning.

Patronageist has even learned that even the thousands of roots reported in the last few days in Malesia e Madhe as discovered by the police, in fact only came to light after the burning of the trees was over. It is learned from reliable sources that the state police did everything possible to save those parcels, in order to report them as discoveries with operational methods.

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But not all innocent cannabis plants have been lucky enough to be discovered by the police. Due to the strong wind and high temperatures, many precious plots in Mali e Thata, Tomor, Mali i Shengjin, etc., have been burned together with ordinary trees from those that are burned every year.

As one of the growers affected by the fires told Patronajist, "in the full sense of the word, the wet and the dry have been burned."

"I understand that pastures with dry grass catch fire because the shepherds want good grass to grow in the fall; I also understand the pine that immediately catches fire, like the idiot tree that it is; yes hashashi, what's wrong with this story? How come a helicopter didn't come to drop a bucket of water on my plot? Or that I am a villager, I have no friends. If it was the plot of any deputy, they would all run. Is there a state in this country or not?", said the cultivator, who asked to remain anonymous because he was also the village headman and did not have the luxury of being accused of double employment.

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But the merciless burning of hashish plots has also highlighted another aspect. It is learned that a large group of firefighters, soldiers and policemen have remained on one of the highest peaks of the Prespa National Park. For three days, they have been trying to burn a plot of hashish in the middle of the forest gradually so that all that smoke does not go to waste.

The call of the Central Directorate of Firefighters and Civil Emergencies to come down in order to be replaced by fresh colleagues, they have responded with a flat refusal: We will stay up here until there is no more fire left to put out!

It is learned that the heroes have reported that the smoke of the plot has been brought under control and is being managed professionally.

"Just send us some bread and water, we will take care of the rest ourselves, " they declared.

And as has been reported in the media in recent days, there has been no lack of solidarity from the residents of Prespa. They, with mules, horses and donkeys, have taken loads of food and water up the mountain to help the firefighters. Unconfirmed sources said that a volunteer orchestra with three members was seen among the caravan: clarinet, accordion and fife.

Note: Despite the humor, Patronageist is a pro-firefighter, anti-hashish satirical column