PM: Greece fought wildfires more effectively despite tougher climate challenges
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday said that Greece managed to combat wildfires more effectively this summer, despite facing even more severe climate crisis-driven challenges.
Speaking in Parliament during a debate that reviewed the fire season and discussed government efforts to support fire victims, restore damaged infrastructure, and strengthen Civil Protection, Mitsotakis said, “This year was expected to be climatically challenging. In fact, it was the most difficult in the last 40 years. We faced consistently above-average temperatures, extreme drought, strong winds, prolonged dry spells, and minimal snowfall in the mountains. We knew the conditions would be particularly problematic.”
“We reached fire risk levels of 4 and 5 earlier than in previous years. The state apparatus was on alert for six months, with forest fires even occurring in September,” he said, extending “a big thank you to all the personnel who made a mammoth effort once again this year.”
According to the prime minister, Greece experienced 9,101 fires this year, compared to 7,163 the previous year.
Mitsotakis also highlighted that the burned areas decreased to 108,727 acres this year from 433,423 acres in 2023, while the 20-year average was slightly above 123,553 acres. “We were below the 20-year average,” he said.
Additionally, he pointed out that Greece recorded fewer burned acres per fire on average this year – 12 acres per fire compared to the 20-year average of 15 acres.
Mitsotakis warned that conditions are unlikely to improve moving forward.
“Look at the US. This is a reality tied to the climate crisis. Wildfires will become increasingly frequent. The Mediterranean is at the center of the climate crisis and will face more frequent challenges,” he said.
