Military to help firefighters on the ground, in the air

Greece’s armed forces are being deployed in the battle against dozens of wildfires that have broken out across the country in recent days, destroying homes, businesses and forests, with the two biggest blazes right now burning in Ilia in the Peloponnese and in northern Evia.

Following a meeting of government and military officials chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis earlier in the day, Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos confirmed on Thursday that the armed forces will be assisting firefighting efforts from the air and on the ground, deploying helicopters, drones and soldiers.

Armed forces chief Konstantinos Floros said that the assistance will consist of 500 troops, 63 vehicles of different types, including earthmovers, and 39 aircraft.

The plan also includes aerial and ground patrols in high-risk parts of the country to improve the response to possible outbreaks, as well as an emergency team to help with evacuations.