The fire season in Greece has started at the earliest in history. This is caused by high air temperatures and scant rainfall. This year, the authorities plan to double the number of firefighters in specialized fire-fighting units to approximately 1,300.
Typically, the fire season in Greece starts on May 1, but this year the authorities announced it in mid-April. Due to high air temperatures, low rainfall and strong winds, fire prevention measures were implemented at the earliest in history.
– This will be a very difficult fire season, a very difficult summer, said Greece's Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Defense, Vasilis Kikilias, on Wednesday.
Fires in Greece
This year, Greece plans to double the number of firefighters in specialized fire-fighting units to around 1,300. It will also draw on the United States' experience in fighting fire. – The use of water is no longer our main weapon in the fight against fire, but our tools. We take a more scientific approach to fires, calculating (air) humidity, wind, said firefighter Dimitris Priftis in an interview with the AP news agency. In anticipation of another difficult season, Greeks are focusing on training and new methods of extinguishing fires. Last year, fire consumed 1,750 square kilometers of Greek territory. Last winter was the warmest in the history of national measurements, local media indicate.
Disaster response program
Greece has launched a EUR 2.1 billion program to strengthen its disaster response system. The money, mostly from European Union funds, was used to purchase water-dropping planes, drones, firefighting vehicles, training facilities and a network of sensors using artificial intelligence to detect early signals of smoke and flooding. The new equipment is to be delivered to Greece no earlier than 2025, reports the AP agency.
Fires in GreeceReuters