Greece to deploy record number of firefighters to combat wildfires
08/05/2025
Greece will spend 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) on new aircraft, meteorological stations and drones and will deploy a record 18,000 firefighters to deal with wildfires and other natural disasters this year.
The country is taking action in anticipation of "bad scenarios" this year, according to Civil Protection and Climate Crisis Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis after destructive wildfires in 2024.
Last August, during Greece's hottest summer on record, a woman died and 10,000 hectares of land were burnt in a wildfire that barrelled from a forest into Athens' northern suburbs.
As the flames approached the capital, teams from France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Turkey mobilised through an EU scheme to help Greece tackle the fires.
Greece will use 80 drones with thermal cameras - nearly double last year's number – to improve the detection of wildfires while 18,000 firefighters will be available this year, which is the highest number on record, assisted by thousands of volunteers.
This latest action by the Mediterranean country comes as the World Meteorological Organisation reported weather across the globe has become more erratic and extreme due to the impact of climate change with 2024 was the hottest year on record.
Kefalogiannis said:"We shouldn't be fooled by the fact that climate conditions this year have seemed to be a little milder than in previous years. The bad scenarios lie ahead."
Kefalogiannis made his comments during a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ahead of the official wildfire season, which began on May 1.
According to Joe McNorton, an expert from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, who spoke to the FT, “the wider Athens area, like other vulnerable areas, has the ‘perfect combination’ of elements required for a major fire.”
Last year, Greece started dispatching aerial and ground forces in the first critical hours after a fire breaks out and also to step up patrols, measures which have helped to contain damage to land and property.
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