The doubling of the staff strength of the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes was announced by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias. “I am announcing today that in addition to the imminent increase in fines, I am doubling the staff strength of the Arson Crimes Directorate, in an effort to combat lawlessness and fire provocations throughout Greece,” Mr. Kikilias told ERT.

“For the 12th day under extreme conditions of heat and strong winds, we are fighting non-stop on dozens of fronts of forest fires”, noted Mr. Kikilias and underlined that “these days the women and men of the Fire Department fought more than 500 fires, i.e. more than 50 per day”.

“Difficult battles in the big fires, in the forest areas of Western Attica, in Loutraki, in Rhodes, in Corfu, in Evia, in Boeotia, in Sparta, in Naxos. In these fires alone, the 89 aerials in 1,490 hours of flight carried out 6,410 water drops,” he noted. “Critical battles to evacuate settlements but entire areas, such as the massive operation to safely evacuate at least 20,000 people in the southern part of Rhodes. Let’s think about what it means to have a huge, gigantic evacuation, without casualties or injuries. Our priority is the protection of human life,” Mr. Kikilias pointed out and added that they will continue to fight alongside local communities and volunteers as the weather conditions remain extremely dangerous.

“In these battles, firefighters, forest services, armed forces, police, EKAV crews, Coast Guard, volunteers and the staff of the Civil Protection ESKEDIK operate with self-sacrifice, self-denial and at the risk of their lives. We are grateful to these people. They will continue to fight small and bigger battles. Unfortunately, the climate crisis and extreme weather events have as a big trigger all those who set fires, either by arson or by criminal negligence,” he concluded.