With 200 fires within 3 days, under extreme climatic conditions, the Fire Department forces are faced with, as stated by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, in an interview he gave to R/S “Sky 100.3”.

Mr. Kikilias, after thanking all the forces that contribute to extinguishing the fires, said that he is “next to all the firefighters of the Corps, the volunteers, the people of the Police, the Army, the Coast Guard”. “In the last 3 days we have had 200 fires with these extreme weather conditions which will continue. The state machine is really being tested” he noted and added that for the past 8 days the country has been in a state of heatwave with extreme climatic conditions, while he emphasized that even higher temperatures are coming in the coming days.

“From last Wednesday until today, it is now 8 days, we are in a state of heatwave with extreme climatic conditions, that is, the temperatures reach close to 40 degrees or exceed them and then there is a Beaufort meltemia. All the worse for causing fires. This coming three-day period, according to our meteorologists and the EMY, the temperatures exceed 40 degrees, they will reach 45 on Sunday and with 5 Beaufort -7 on Monday, Tuesday and unfortunately a new third heat wave will follow as the scientists inform me, with higher temperatures than the weekend, i.e. over 45 degrees. We will be able to say more details on Sunday. The Fire Brigade and the state will be here to help and support in a coordinated and organized manner with all the forces it has where it is humanly possible”, he noted.

Asked if it should be investigated in depth why the fire in Dervenochoria has been burning for 3 days, Mr. Kikilias said that “when the firefighting-fire protection period ends, then we have to do our assessment of the Fire Brigade, of its structure, the new structure that is required in my opinion, of its mode of operation, of the rules of prevention and cooperation with the 2 levels of local government, of how we communicate with the citizens , what we ask of them and how early in the year it is required that everyone, municipalities, citizens, etc., have weeded and are responsible for their personal property” and added that in the Mediterranean, in Europe and throughout the world we are now talking about a climate crisis and not climate change.

Mr. Kikilias pointed out that we had, have and will continue to have fires, as do all the countries of the world that are affected by extreme weather events and heat waves, and underlined that the important thing is “the way we deal with them and what we can do in order to prevent the loss of human lives and to protect the forest and property”.

“First of all, there will be an evaluation. We will see what the structure of the Fire Department is and what is required. What are the new technologies? We will try, and this is a big issue, to utilize the 2 billion euros of the AEGIS program. We will honestly inform the Greek society as well as about the way in which they run and will run this very large AEGIS program, of the supplies to the PA and the other bodies so that we will be even more ready next time”, underlined Mr. Kikilias.

Finally, the minister thanked the countries of France, Italy, Israel, Poland, Romania and Slovakia that will support the firefighters and volunteers who are operating and emphasized that the 2 Air Tractors from Israel are expected to arrive today at noon.