“The war and the battle with the climatic crisis in general is a constant battle. And we don’t just say it in Greece. Burnt areas in Spain and Portugal are average of the average of twenty years, “the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, among other things, told Action 24 this morning. Giannis Kefalogiannis.
The Minister highlighted the framework within which Greece is active in dealing with forest fires and its wider challenge climate crisis. Referring to the fires in Chios and the multiple outbreaks that occurred in August, the minister stressed that the state mechanism was called upon to face “200 fires within three days”, resulting in the dispersion of forces across the country. He emphasized, however, that 90% -95% of cases are effectively addressed within the first hour, which confirms the readiness and determination of the Fire Brigade.
Mr Kefalogiannis stood in evidence that this year Greece is in a better position than other European countries in the South, but acknowledged that every acre burned is a significant loss for local communities. So far, he noted, 450,000 acres have been burned, with most of them being grassy and agricultural land. The percentage of forests affected is smaller, which, he said, shows the effectiveness of prevention policies and the need to further strengthen them.
Referring to the first -line people, the minister noted: “What I can tell you is that the men and women of the Fire Department have really overcome themselves, have really done the best possible. And I’ll say it again, we have 6,300 agrarian fires from the beginning of the year, neither 50, nor 100. I think on the basis of this number anyone can draw their own conclusions. ”
Its position was also linked to the issue of pay and reinforcement of firefighters. He recalled that the government has already taken measures such as the increase of 100 euros in wages, doubling and tripling away from home, as well as the establishment of additional benefits during the firefighting season. For any new interventions, he referred to the Prime Minister’s announcements to the TIF, however, stressing that “our recommendation is what is announced for police and ports to apply to firefighters”.
Particular emphasis was placed on the contribution of local government. The minister recalled that in 2024 only 185 of the 332 municipalities took advantage of the electronic platform for the cleaning control of plots, while in 2025 the figure was 99%. He emphasized that this year the municipalities received 100% of the resources requested by the Ministry of the Interior, a total of 40 million euros, compared to 18 million in 2023. However, he stressed the need to create a control mechanism so that municipalities that do not comply with sanctions, while the consequences are rewarded.