Heated Debate Over Forest Fires as Greek PM Announces More Measures

Photo source: Prime Minister’s office.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a set of measures in a heated debate in parliament on Thursday aimed at preventing fires in the aftermath of a devastating blaze that continues to burn the region of Evros for two weeks today.

Among others, Mitsotakis announced the purchase of early fire warning and intervention systems, temperature sensors, the installation of cameras at all archaeological sites and high risk forests and a digital platform to be integrated into the national cadaster (ktimatologio) which will identify land areas that have not been cleared of weeds.

Stricter fines will also apply to local governments which fail to protect and prevent fires in their areas of jurisdiction.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during his speech at the Greek Parliament. Photo source: Greek Parliament channel.

The measures, Mitsotakis said, are aimed at strengthening civil protection as well as supporting and regenerating fire-affected areas.

In response to harsh opposition for failing to contain both the fires burning for over a week on Rhodes in July, which led to the loss of 13,500 hectares of woodland, and the ongoing fire at Evros, which has burnt the unique Dadia Forest and led to the loss of 82,000 hectares of woodland so far, Mitsotakis said “state efforts were analogous to the conditions”.

“Unfortunately, the climate crisis is here, increasingly threatening to all of us and in the face of a danger that concerns everyone, the answer must obviously be given by everyone. We are aware of the losses and we must learn from our mistakes,” he told parliament.

The prime minister said the national fire brigade will be reinforced with new Canadair firefighting planes from 2026 onwards. Additionally, he said more than 100 drones will be used in the next fire-fighting season. He also said that 500 forest experts, 1,000 firefighters, and more seasonal staff would be hired.

Mitsotakis went on to add that fines would be increased and immediate prison sentences implemented for arson. Opposition MPs stressed however that no one to date has been penalized and no court cases have been tried yet for the deadly fire in Mati in July 2018, when 104 people lost their lives or in Ilia in 2007 when 63 people died.

The Greek PM also said that regeneration plans would be implemented immediately for the affected areas by the end of the year and will include initiatives similar to those applied in the case of Evia, the northern half of which was nearly burnt to the ground in 2021 including the launch of the “Evros Pass” to stimulate tourism.

Opposition parties also called for the reinstatement of forestry services and forest rangers, immediate anti-flooding works, that all burnt areas be reforested with a complete ban on any form of construction activity, fire lookouts in forests, emergency actions plans, and the creation of a single coordination center with the participation of experts, among other priorities.

Lastly, Mitsotakis said he has asked European experts to study and identify the causes of the Dadia fire.

Photo source: European Commission

Meanwhile, the massive fire burning woodland for the 14 consecutive day in Evros, Northeastern Greece is the largest ever recorded in the European Union, said Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization.

According to the latest data released by the FLAME unit of Meteo, the National Observatory of Athens (EAA), the total area burned in Greece from the beginning of the year to August 30, 2023 has increased by 270 percent compared to the total burnt area in the last two decades. According to the Copernicus mapping system, the total area burnt so far in Greece exceeds the size of New York City.