Greece deploys record firefighters and more drones for wildfire season
Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis said 18,000 permanent and seasonal personnel, supported by thousands of volunteers, would be mobilized as wildfire damage has increased steadily over the past two decades.
'It is clear that the conditions this year will be particularly difficult,' Kefalogiannis told reporters after attending a firefighting exercise south of Athens.
Rising average temperatures and low rainfall have significantly worsened conditions in recent years.
Greek Fire Chief Lt. Gen. Theodoros Vagias told The Associated Press that additional elite firefighting units would be deployed to high-risk areas during the May 1–Oct. 31 fire season.
'The climate crisis is here to stay, and we must be more effective in surveillance, preparedness, and how we mobilize our resources,' Vagias said.
Wildfire damage
surged to more than 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) in 2021 and 1,745 square kilometers (675 square miles) in 2023 — roughly three times the 2011–2020 average — according to data from the European Union's Forest Fire Information System.
Firefighters held an exercise Thursday to test Greece's
evolving wildfire response
, which increasingly relies on advanced technologies such as drone surveillance and mobile command centers.
Fire planes skimmed treetops, releasing plumes of water in coordinated low-altitude drops, as commanders on the ground huddled over tablets streaming real-time drone footage. The coast guard and armed forces took part in a drill simulating the evacuation of a children's summer camp threatened by fires on multiple fronts.
Officials said the number of firefighting personnel has increased by roughly 20% over the past two years, while the fleet of fire-surveillance drones has grown to 82, up from 45.
Around 300 firefighters from the Czech Republic, France, Romania, Moldova, and Bulgaria are being sent to Greece under a
European Union
prepositioning program, officials said.
__ Lefteris Pitarakis in Lavrion, Greece contributed to this report
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
an hour ago
Wildfire kills 2 people in Spain as parts of Europe bake in heat wave
BARCELONA, Spain -- A relentless European heat wave helped fuel a deadly wildfire in Spain while the European Union presented plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under scorching temperatures on Wednesday. The blaze that broke out late on Tuesday created an enormous thick plume of ash and smoke that reached 14,000 meters (45,000 feet) of altitude, making it the largest registered by firefighters in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain. Two farmers were killed while apparently trying to flee in a vehicle, local authorities said Wednesday. Firefighters said that the fire spread at 28 kph (17 mph) at one point as it consumed 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) mostly of grain fields, making it one of the fastest fires registered in Europe. 'Wildfires today are not like they were before,' Salvador Illa, the regional president of Catalonia, said. 'These are extremely dangerous. From the very first moment, it was considered to be beyond the capacity of extinction. I mean that not even with two or three times the number of firefighters, they have told me, it would have been possible to put out.' Firefighters credited a rainstorm later on Tuesday for having 'quickly changed the situation and helped speed up getting the fire stabilized.' Two of the 500 firefighters who deployed needed treatment at a local hospital for their injuries. Some 14,000 residents were ordered to stay indoors for several hours on Tuesday night. More hot weather is expected on Wednesday with temperatures in the Lleida region forecast to reach a high of 39 C (102 F). The European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said that it was closely monitoring the abnormally hot temperatures. Weather experts link the heat wave to climate change. As much of Europe was scorched by torrid weather, the European Commission unveiled proposals to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040 as the 27-nation bloc aims to be fully carbon-neutral by 2050. 'We are finally here on a very hot day, and some would call that very timely,' Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra told reporters in Brussels. The proposals include allowing businesses to use international carbon credits to offset their emissions. Under the plan, international carbon credits could be used — starting in 2036 and limited to 3% of benchmark 1990 EU emissions — to reach the 2040 emission reduction target. The proposals have to be approved by the EU's 27 member states. More than two-thirds of the severest heat waves in Europe registered since 1950 have occurred since 2000, the World Meteorological Organization says. After Spain already set a record for June air temperatures, Spanish port authorities recorded the hottest ever water temperature readings for June in both the Mediterranean and the part of the Atlantic nearest to France. Experts say higher surface temperatures are bad for sea life and make for warmer nights on shore. 'A much warmer sea around us contributes to the nights not cooling down, which is detrimental to people's rest,' Manuel Vargas, researcher at the Oceanographic Center of Malaga, told The Associated Press. Also in Spain's southern city of Malaga, the international Red Cross set up an air-conditioned 'climate refuge' to help residents. The Spanish Red Cross was itself providing an 'assisted bathing service' to help people with reduced mobility to cool down in waters at the beach. Heat alerts were issued for 17 Italian cities Wednesday. The corresponding surge in air conditioning was straining the electric grid and causing periodic blackouts. On Tuesday, parts of Florence's historic center had a blackout following a surge in electricity use, energy company Enel said. Italy's labor ministry, meanwhile, summoned union representatives to a meeting Wednesday to finalize a protocol on protecting farm, construction and other workers who labor outdoors from heat exposure. This came after a construction worker died in Bologna this week. On Tuesday, Catholic bishops from Asia, Africa and Latin America met in the Vatican to demand climate justice for the parts of the world most affected by rising temperatures. France's national weather agency kept four departments under red alert on Wednesday after temperatures exceeded 40 C (104 F) in many towns. The summit of Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower remained closed until Thursday for 'everyone's comfort and safety.' In Switzerland, one of the two reactors at the Beznau nuclear power plant was shut down as part of efforts to prevent excessive warming of the Aare River, so as not to further burden wildlife and the overall ecosystem in already hot weather, operator Axpo said. Hundreds of people in the central town of Soest cooled down on a baking-hot Tuesday night by taking on the local fire brigade in a water fight. Townsfolk were armed with water guns, the first responders with fire hoses. ___
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Photos show the rain on Day 3 after the Wimbledon heatwave
LONDON (AP) — After the heatwave came the rain. The tennis courts were covered and the fans were forced to shelter under umbrellas as rain delayed play on Day 3 of Wimbledon on Wednesday. The bad weather came after Monday had seen record-breaking Day 1 heat as the temperature rose to 91 degrees Fahrenheit — 33 Celsius — at the oldest Grand Slam tournament. The temperature then climbed again on Day 2 on Tuesday to 93 degrees Fahrenheit — 34 Celsius. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Associated Press
Photos show the rain on Day 3 after the Wimbledon heatwave
LONDON (AP) — After the heatwave came the rain. The tennis courts were covered and the fans were forced to shelter under umbrellas as rain delayed play on Day 3 of Wimbledon on Wednesday. The bad weather came after Monday had seen record-breaking Day 1 heat as the temperature rose to 91 degrees Fahrenheit — 33 Celsius — at the oldest Grand Slam tournament. The temperature then climbed again on Day 2 on Tuesday to 93 degrees Fahrenheit — 34 Celsius. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
