A coordination meeting in view of the start of the fire season with the Region of Thessaly was attended by Minister Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas, today in Larissa.
Mr. Tournas referred to the strengthening of the mechanism and the need to emphasize prevention.
“The aim is to be as well prepared as possible to deal with the phenomena of a difficult summer,” the Deputy Minister said, among other things, stressing that “together the mechanism is being strengthened and is at a stage of maturity.”
“Already the staff has been strengthened, which includes 18,000 people, and 21 forestry units have been set up across the country. At the same time, new systems and vehicles are constantly being received,” the deputy minister said, adding that “the effort never stops. Protection has to mutate and strengthen year by year as the threat is also constantly changing.”
Referring to the sunny conditions, he stressed that increased rainfall contributed to the accumulation of water compared to previous years, however, the intense growth of vegetation poses an increased risk as it can become a fuel if not managed properly.
Finally, he stressed that particular emphasis is being placed on preventive measures to reduce the risk of fires starting and spreading.
For his part, Thessaly’s regional governor Dimitris Kouretas said it is important that the Regional Directorate of Firefighting is located in the same building with the Civil Protection, noting that this fact helps in better organization.
At the same time, he stressed that the fire season has effectively begun, referring to recent fire incidents, while regarding the preparation this year, he made it clear that planning and operational readiness is a continuous process of improvement and adaptation.
