A broad coordination meeting for the preparation of the fire season in the Region of Epirus was convened yesterday, in Ioannina, by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Yannis Kefalogiannis, in cooperation with the Regional Governor of Epirus, Alexandros Kachrimanis.
The purpose of the meeting was the coordination and readiness of all stakeholders involved, so that the Region of Epirus enters the fire season with clear roles, unified operational planning and increased prevention and immediate response capability.
The Minister referred to prevention and the strengthening of the operational means of the Civil Protection Mechanism. In this context, projects and interventions implemented to upgrade the capabilities of the Fire Brigade and the overall Civil Protection Mechanism were presented, including actions under the AIGIS programme, which are funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund. As Mr. Kefalogiannis stressed, through the funding of the Recovery Fund, the fleet and operational equipment of the Fire Brigade is substantially strengthened, while, in combination with the use of new technological tools and surveillance means, the overall prevention, surveillance and response capabilities are upgraded. “Through funding from the Recovery Fund, the Fire Brigade’s fleet is further strengthened. Three DIAMOND aircraft have already been received, which will operate providing real-time imagery to the Operations Centre. At the same time, the Fire Corps fleet will be reinforced with three LEONARDO helicopters for personnel transport, as well as the first two Super Puma helicopters,” he said.
He particularly emphasized the fact that the majority of fires occur outside and extend into forested areas, which, the Minister said, makes the management of agricultural and grassland areas critical. Referring to the causes, he noted that negligence is the dominant feature of fires, covering about 60 per cent of cases, while arson with intent shows an increased presence in major incidents.
In this context, he announced the formation of four investigative teams to deal with arson crimes in Epirus, with the aim of speeding up investigations and strengthening the deterrence mechanism.
At the same time, the importance of prevention and fuel reduction projects was highlighted, as well as the continuous cooperation between the state, local government and operational bodies, with the Minister reiterating that “effective Civil Protection requires collective responsibility, continuous operational vigilance and institutional consistency”.
“The outcome – the success or failure of the fire season – is not only judged at the time of the fire, but much earlier: On the degree of preparation and readiness, on the clarity of roles, as well as on the cooperation and coordination between all stakeholders,” Mr. Kefalogiannis.
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In addition, the Minister stressed that 2025 was a watershed year for the Region of Epirus in terms of fire weather conditions, as, he noted, a clear increase in the number of high fire risk days was recorded, shaping a new, more demanding operational reality. He said that despite the reduction in the number of fires compared to the long-term average, their intensity and extent had increased significantly, with the total burnt area, as he pointed out, amounting to 58,000 hectares compared to an average of 7,500 hectares, noting that the critical issue is to prevent the escalation of isolated incidents into large-scale fires.
– the reduction of fire starts,
– immediate response at the initial stage,
– and to strengthen the operational preparedness and coordination of all stakeholders.
He concluded by pointing out that Civil Protection is, first and foremost, an ecosystem of cooperation and stressed that without the contribution of the Armed Forces, the Hellenic Police, the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard, the Emergency Medical Services and the Local Authorities, the mechanism cannot function with the required efficiency. He made special reference to the Foresters, acknowledging the crucial role they play, while he underlined that every success is a product of coordination, trust and collective effort, expressing at the same time the certainty that everyone will respond in the best possible way. Finally, he made it clear that the climate crisis does not allow for any complacency.
The meeting held in the conference room of the Regional Council of Epirus was also attended by the Secretary General of Civil Protection, Nikos Papaevstathiou, the deputies of Ioannina, George Amyras and Maria Kefala, Arta, George Stylios, Thesprotia, Vassilis Giogiakas, Preveza Spyros Kyriakis, the Chief of the Fire Brigade, Lieutenant General Theodoros Vayas, deputy mayors, the mayors of Ioannina, Thomas Begas, Zitsa, Michalis Pliakos, Arta, Christoforos Siafakas, Karaiskaki, Pericles Migdos, Nikolaos Skoufa, Konstantinos Papasiozos, Zirou, Georgios Yoldasis, Dodoni, Christos Dakaletsis, the Inspector General of Northern Greece, Lieutenant General Panagiotis Batrellos, the commander of the Construction and Natural Disaster Response Command (DIKAFKA), Major General Nikolaos Gretsas, the General Regional Police Director of Epirus, Major General Konstantinos Kakousis, the coordinator P.Υ. Epirus, Western Macedonia and Islands, Major General Zois Giotis, the commander of the 8th Mechanized Brigade (8 M/P TAXI – “VIII MP of Epirus”), Brigadier General Kolios Vasilios, the Inspector of Forest Policy Implementation of Epirus – Western Macedonia, Maria Tsiatoura, the airport manager of the State Airport of Ioannina, Konstantinos Efstathiou, deputy mayors of Civil Protection, representatives of the Armed Forces, the Greek Police, the Coast Guard, the Fire Department, the Fire Brigade, the Emergency Medical Services, the Public Utility Company, the Forestry Department, the Forestry, the Health Units, the Health Department, the Health Insurance Fund, the New Egnatia Road, the Ionian Road, the Regional Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education of Epirus, the Local Improvement Organizations (TOEB), the DEYA, ETVA BI.PE, TEE and the volunteer groups of the General Secretariat of Civil Protection, as well as executives of the Fire Department and officials of the Region of Epirus.
