Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis today chaired a meeting at the Maximos Mansion on the fire season. The meeting included a briefing by Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tourna on the operational plan, human resources and additional logistical equipment using innovative technologies.
More specifically, regarding the preparations made for the fire season and the firefighting forces, this year at the start the Fire Corps has 17,727 permanent and seasonal firefighters, while by the end of the fire season this number will rise to 18,804. A significant boost has also been achieved in the fleet of vehicles, now amounting to 4,299.
The units of forestry officers (EMODE), the first six of which were formed in 2022, now number 21 and reach 1,450 members. In addition, the PC will be reinforced for another year with pre-deployed staff from four European countries.
According to reports, the meeting also discussed the implementation of the “AIGIS” programme and presented the plan for the use of drones in Attica and in vulnerable areas around the country, for the immediate detection and rapid first attack of fire outbreaks.
Specifically for drones, it was noted that this year the bases amount to more than 100, plus 3 mobile drone operations centers, which can fly even in extreme weather conditions and are equipped with thermal cameras.
Finally, the national air assets remain at 33, with the leased air assets increasing further by 2, to 51, making a total force of available assets ranging between 80 to 85 air assets on a daily basis depending on availabilities.
The meeting also heard a presentation by the Director General of Forests and Forest Environment of the DG DG Forestry, Vangelis Gountoufas, on the overall framework of prevention, management and restoration actions being implemented at national level by the Forest Service in close cooperation with the Ministry of Forestry, which is running the tendering procedures.
Particular emphasis was placed on the progress of the Antinero forest protection programme, which for 2026 includes projects with a total budget of about 82 million euros, which are added to the prevention interventions of the 2022-2025 period, forming a total budget of prevention actions of about 667 million euros for the five-year period 2022-2026.
The interventions include forest vegetation clearance, maintenance of forest roads, creation of mixed and sheltered firebreaks, forest infrastructure, water reservoirs, as well as projects to protect archaeological sites and high-risk peri-urban forest ecosystems. Typical examples of the implementation of projects in critical peri-urban forest ecosystems of the country, such as Ymittos, Egaleo-Poikilo and Sheikh Su, were presented, highlighting the strategic prevention planning implemented around large urban centres.
At the same time, the strategic transition of the country from the logic of a piecemeal approach to an integrated model of active management of forest ecosystems was highlighted, with the use of scientific data, modern mapping tools and updated fire prevention and management studies throughout the country.
Special reference was made to the institutionalised cooperation of the forestry service with the Fire Brigade, the Civil Protection and the Armed Forces, the operation of support teams for the management of large-scale forest fires, as well as the overall strengthening of operational coordination in the field.
In addition, the progress of rehabilitation projects following the 2025 fire incidents was presented, highlighting that in all the affected areas, rehabilitation projects have already been implemented or are being completed immediately, either through the institution of the rehabilitation and reforestation contractor or through resources of the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
In total, for the period 2022-2026, the actions of the Forestry Service from any funding source represent an investment of 864 million euros for prevention actions, 33 million euros for studies and 374 million euros for restoration interventions, underlining that prevention, active and science-based management of forest ecosystems, as well as strengthening their resilience to the climate crisis, now constitute a central national priority.
The meeting was also attended by State Minister Akis Skertosos, Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Costas Katsafados, the Secretaries General of Civil Protection Nikos Papaevstathiou, Natural Disaster Restoration and State Relief Petros Kampouris, and Coordination of the Presidency of the Government, Evi Dramalioti, the Chiefs of the General Staff, Major General Dimitrios Houpis, Major General Dimitrios Mallios, Major General Theodoros Vayas and the First Deputy Chief of the Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Fotis Kiamos.
