Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a meeting today at the Maximos Mansion to discuss the wildfire season. During the meeting, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas provided an update on the operational plan, personnel, and additional logistical equipment utilizing innovative technologies.
More specifically, regarding preparations for the fire season and firefighting forces, this year, at the start of the season , the Fire Department has 17,727 permanent and seasonal firefighters, and by the end of the season, this number will rise to 18,804. Significant reinforcement has also been achieved in the vehicle fleet, which now totals 4,299.
The forest firefighting units (EMODE), the first six of which were formed in 2022, now number 21 and have 1,450 members. In addition, the Fire Department will be reinforced for another year with pre-deployed personnel from four European countries.
The meeting also discussed the progress of the “AIGIS” programand presented plans for the use of drones in Attica and in vulnerable areas across the country, for the immediate detection and rapid initial response to fire outbreaks.
Specifically regarding drones, it was noted that this year there are now more than 100 bases plus 3 Mobile Drone Operations Centers, which can fly even in extreme weather conditions and are equipped with thermal cameras.
Finally, the number of National Aerial Assets remains at 33, while Leased Aerial Assets have increased by 2 more, reaching 51 and resulting in a total fleet of available aircraft ranging between 80 and 85 on a daily basis, depending on availability.
The meeting also featured a presentation by Vangelis Gkountoufas, Director General of Forests and the Forest Environment at the General Secretariat of Forests, the overall framework of prevention, management, and restoration actions being implemented at the national level by the Forest Service in close collaboration with the Superfund, which oversees the competitive bidding processes.
Particular emphasis was placed on the progress of the Antinero Forest Protection Program, which for 2026 includes projects with a total budget of approximately €82 million, in addition to the prevention measures for the 2022–2025 period, resulting in a total budget for prevention measures of approximately €667 million for the five-year period 2022–2026.
The measures include forest vegetation clearing, maintenance of the forest road network, creation of mixed and covered firebreaks, forest infrastructure, water reservoirs, as well as projects to protect archaeological sites and high-risk peri-urban forest ecosystems. Representative examples of project implementation in critical peri-urban forest ecosystems across the country were presented, such as Ymittos, Aigaleo–Poikilo, and Seich Sou, highlighting the strategic prevention planning being implemented around major urban centers.
At the same time, the country’s strategic transition from a piecemeal approach to an integrated model of active forest ecosystem management was highlighted, utilizing scientific data, modern mapping tools, and up-to-date fire prevention and management studies across the entire country.
Special mention was made of the institutionalized cooperation between the Forest Service and the Fire Department, 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, progress on restoration projects following the 2025 fires was presented, emphasizing that restoration projects have already been implemented or are nearing completion across all affected areas, either through the Restoration and Reforestation Contractor mechanism or using resources from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
In total, for the period 2022–2026, the Forest Service’s actions, regardless of funding source, amount to €864 million in investments for prevention measures, €33 million for studies, and €374 million for restoration interventions, underscoring that prevention, the active and scientifically grounded management of forest ecosystems, as well as strengthening their resilience to the climate crisis, are now a central national priority.