Greece arms on: high summer alarm against devastating forest fires!

Greece arms on: high summer alarm against devastating forest fires!

Athen, Griechenland - Greece faces a difficult forest fire season, which is tightened by climate change and man -made risks. The civil protection minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis recently emphasized that the conditions for the upcoming fires will be challenging, but the preparations have already progressed well. In order to optimize fire fighting, the number of fire brigade used is increased to around 18,000, in addition to thousands of volunteers. The use of modern technology, including the surveillance drones, was doubled to 82 in order to obtain faster and more precise information about fire hazards. These measures appear in particular against the background of the devastating forest fires in August 2024, in which around 100 buildings were destroyed in the northern suburbs of Athens and a woman lost their lives
( Tagesschau ).

In addition to these preparations, a current study underlines that up to 95 % of the forest fires in Greece are human. There are reasons for this from defective power cables to fires caused by beekeepers. Public education, especially younger generations, about the risks of forest fires is also of great importance. The EASAC study also demands that more are invested in preventive measures instead of only relying on reactive extinguishing strategies.

The consequences of climate change

The connection between climate change and the frequency of forest fires is becoming increasingly clear. A report by the British Met Office analyzes the global fire season and comes to the conclusion that the probability of extreme fire events in Greece was at least doubled by climate change. This was particularly evident during the catastrophe in Evros in August 2023, where 900 square kilometers were burned and 20 lives were required. Experts warn that with warming of around three degrees, the likelihood of fires up to 2100 will be at least twice as high as today ( Zeitung ).

Scientists identify four main drivers for forest and bush fires: the weather, the existing fire material, the dryness of the material and human influences. In the summer of 2023, the fire weather in Greece was not extreme in front of the Evros disaster, but increased dramatically in August. At the same time, the fire weather index shows a direct connection between high values ​​and fires in other regions of the world, such as Canada and the western Amazon area.

prevention measures and reforestation

The efforts to combat forest fires are supported by targeted measures for vegetation control such as the targeted burning of dry vegetation and pasture farming. For example, fire lines are available in some forest areas, but not nationwide. The reforestation should rely on fire-resistant and naturally occurring species to make the forests more resistant to fires ( Environmental Federal Agency ). In summary, it can be said that the challenges in forest fire prevention and fighting will increase through forest fire -promoting weather conditions. There is an urgent need for action to combat both the immediate dangers and to develop long -term strategies that counteract the effects of climate change.