Devastating Greece wildfire fears spark evacuation drills ahead of 'difficult' summer

Firefighting plane drops water over a forest during wildfire drills, south of Athens (Image: AP)

Greece has been holding evacuation drills amid concerns of a devastating wildfire season. The country is deploying a record number of firefighters and expanding its drone fleet this summer after damage caused by wildfires soared in recent years.

“It is clear that the conditions this year will be particularly difficult,” Greece’s Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis told reporters after watching a firefighting exercise south of Athens. The training included firefighting planes dumping water and the Greek coast guard and armed forces taking part in a simulated evacuation of a children’s summer camp at threat from fires. The exercise, which aimed to test Greece’s evolving response to wildfires, also saw commanders watching live feeds streamed from drones.

Greece has almost doubled its fleet of fire-surveillance drones (Image: AP)

Greece is increasingly relying on more advanced technologies such as drone surveillance and mobile command centres in its firefighting.

Its fleet of surveillance drones has almost doubled from 45 to 82 as the Mediterranean nation looks to address increasing wildfire risks fuelled by climate change.

Additional elite firefighting units are expected to be deployed to areas most at risk during fire season between May 1 and October 31, Greek Fire Chief Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias said.

He said: “The climate crisis is here to stay, and we must be more effective in surveillance, preparedness, and how we mobilize our resources.”

Wildfire damage has increased steadily over the past two decades but in recent years, rising average temperatures and low rainfall have significantly worsened conditions.

Data from the European Union shows damage from fires reached more than 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) in 2021 and 1,745 square kilometers (675 square miles) in 2023 — around three times the average between 2011 and 2020.

Mr Kefalogiannis said 18,000 permanent and seasonal personnel, supported by thousands of volunteers, are to be mobilised.

Greece’s number of firefighters has increased by around 20% over the past two years.

Officials said around 300 firefighters from nations including France, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are also being sent to Greece as part of an EU programme.

Greece is also one of the most seismically active areas of Europe.

On Thursday morning, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the island of Crete, triggering a tsunami warning. There were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.