The Association for the Protection and Development of Hymettus (SPAY), in response to public reports and announcements that seek to create false impressions regarding the progress of cleanup efforts on Mount Hymettus, must set the record straight with clarity, responsibility, and absolute respect for the citizens.
The cleanup operations on Mount Hymettus are proceeding as normal, in accordance with the operational plan of the Fire Protection and Rescue Service (SPAY) and the priorities dictated by the mountain’s actual fire protection needs.
There is no neglect or inaction whatsoever. On the contrary, extensive cleanup operations have already been completed with a targeted focus on the greenest, dense, and heavily burdened areas of northern and eastern Hymettus, which also house critical infrastructure!
Specifically, cleanup operations have been carried out in: Agia Paraskevi, Papagou-Cholargos, Zografou, Koropi, Kaisariani, Dafni-Hymettus, and are nearing completion in Vyronas, Argyroupoli, Ilioupoli, Markopoulo–Mesogaia, Vari–Voula – Vouliagmeni, and Paiania.
It should be noted that SPAY, as an Intermunicipal Body of 12 municipalities—assists the State and is not the competent authority for the cleanup of the entire Hymettus area.
Moreover, it cannot do so, a fact known to all its member municipalities! At the same time, SPAY does not operate based on public relations considerations or geographical selectivity, but rather on the substance of wildfire protection, the severity of the danger, and the need to protect the entire mountainous region.
In this context, it is absolutely clear that the Municipality of Elliniko – Argyroupoli is neither being overlooked nor excluded from the planning process.
The attempt to portray the Association as inactive or indifferent toward a specific area is completely unfounded and does not correspond to reality.
Unfortunately, it raises legitimate concerns that the former president of SPAY, Mr. Ioannis Konstantatos, has chosen, for reasons known only to himself, to dredge up and exaggerate an operational issue, attempting to turn it into a matter of public controversy, just a few days before the elections for the new SPAY Board of Directors on June 25, 2026…
SPAY will not follow this tactic. It will not get involved in pre-election maneuvering, it will not exploit citizens’ anxiety, and it will not turn the fire protection of Mount Hymettus into a tool for petty political gain. The Association has one responsibility: to protect Mount Hymettus through planning, seriousness, documentation, and consistency. And that is exactly what it is doing.
The President of SPAY—Mayor of Paiania, Isidoros Madis, remains focused exclusively on the essence of the work undertaken by the Association and on ensuring that all necessary interventions are carried out properly, at the right time, and with the sole aim of protecting the mountain and the neighboring municipalities. With a plan, with clear priorities, with responsibility, and with full awareness of SPAY’s mission.
Everything else serves other agendas, not the truth, and certainly not the protection of Mount Hymettus.
Below are some photos illustrating the cleanup efforts:
