Preventing and limiting the starts of fires are the focus of the Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection planning for this year’s fire season, which starts today.
The strategy to be followed again this year is summarized around the doctrine adopted three years ago and is based on surveillance, early warning and immediate response.
This year, after 45 years, Civil Protection will be able to use the tool of the National Forest Fire Risk Mapping, which was completed and updated in the fall of 2025, allocating all areas of the country into three risk categories, low, medium and high risk, depending on the type of vegetation, climatic conditions and the frequency of values 3, 4 and 5 in the daily Fire Risk Prediction Map of the General Secretariat of Civil Protection over the last 20 years.
Drone surveillance will play a crucial role in the early warning of fire initiation. As it was announced by the Civil Protection, 100 drones will be made available, an increase of almost 20 from the previous year, which will operate on a 24-hour basis, with thermal cameras allowing early detection of fire outbreaks, even at night, and enhancing surveillance. According to ministry sources, this year’s fire season the aim is to further increase their use to cover other areas, especially peri-urban areas, by including Mobile Operations Centres in the planning.
Specifically, according to ministry figures, 45 drones were allocated in 2024, 82 in 2025 and 100 this year, as well as 3 in Mobile Operations Centres (MOCs). According to the same sources, with the first implementation in the 2024 fire season, the drones systems showed very high efficiency, as in Attica alone last year they detected more than 1,000 fire starts in the first year, while they also contributed decisively to the direction of ground and air forces.
Particular emphasis is also placed on land clearing as the new framework for them provides for stricter controls and increased penalties, while owners/obligated parties are required to proceed with their clearing from April 1 to June 15 each year, as well as their maintenance throughout the fire season (until October 31). As an indication of the tightening of controls, the competent authorities are already carrying out checks, imposing penalties, fines and making arrests.
As pointed out the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas, at a meeting held this week for the preparation of the fire season in the North Aegean Region, particular importance is given to the cleaning of plots as it has been observed during the previous fire season, “where the plots were cleaned, the fire stopped”, while on the contrary in uncleared areas the spread was uncontrolled. “It’s a bet we have to make and we have to succeed by June 15,”
He noted.
At the same time, he referred to the support of the municipalities, saying that “we are trying to support the municipalities to do the projects and actions that they have under their responsibility,”
noting the increase in available resources in recent years.
Specifically, according to data from the Civil Protection, this year allocated to 332 municipalities in the country resources of 47.50 million euros, and an additional 2.50 million euros to the Associations of Municipalities, to be used exclusively for fire protection actions, funding increased by 25% of the amount compared to the previous year.
At the same time, heavy emphasis is also given to prevention interventions with the Antinero I, II, III, IV & PLUS program, which is being implemented from 2022 with a completion horizon of 2026 to play a central role.
Regarding aerial forest firefighting resources (national and leased), these this year’s fire season, amount to 80 to 85, depending on daily availability.
Regarding the human resources of the Fire Brigade , the total for the year 2026 amounts to 18,804 firefighters.
At the same time, 21 Special Forestry Operations Units (S.MO.D.E.) throughout the country, with airlift capability throughout the country, in order to provide timely intervention even in the most inaccessible places.
The contribution of volunteers will also be important as, according to Civil Protection sources, the total number of volunteer firefighters in the country’s Fire Services is gradually increasing, strengthening the Mechanism.
At the same time, the Civil Protection Volunteer Organizations Registry has so far included in the operational planning of the Fire Service:
➢ 5,011 volunteers from 234 volunteer organizations, while more than 6.500 have received certified training through the Civil Protection Academy, with successful completion of the theoretical and practical training program “Forest Fire Protection / Forest Firefighting”.
Furthermore, as for the total vehicle fleet, it amounts to 3,911, namely:
➢ 1.993 water trucks
➢ 1,687 auxiliary
➢ 228 special purpose
In addition, the planning for the fire season includes the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Climate and Civil Protection and the Ministry of Culture with the aim of shielding archaeological sites against fire. To date, autopsies have been carried out in more than 60 archaeological sites, during which guidelines were given for taking additional preventive and suppressive fire protection measures. In addition, as reported by the Civil Protection, exercises were organised, a standard plan for the evacuation of visitors and workers in case of fire was drawn up, training was held for the staff of the Ministry of Culture at the Fire Academy and fire protection studies of archaeological sites were examined.
Finally, a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection with DEDDIE and ADMIE is in progress, aiming at clean-ups and the opening of firebreaks within the service zones of electricity transmission lines.
