Fire management this year has shown a marked improvement compared to previous years. Faster mobilization and better coordination among the relevant agencies appear to have made a difference by limiting the consequences and, so far, preventing a repeat of the catastrophic scenes of the past.
“The difference this year compared to previous years is that the Forestry Department has been significantly strengthened, not only in terms of personnel but also in terms of fire trucks and other equipment.”
Glafkos Kyriakou – Forestry Department Spokesperson
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
During this year’s summer season, the Forestry Department responded to 151 serious fire incidents, while the fire department has responded to a total of 1,151 fires so far.
The Forest Service’s response time has become noticeably faster, dropping from 12 minutes to 8.5 minutes. At the same time, in addition to the increase in fire trucks, the number of bulldozers and aerial firefighting aircraft has also increased.
“Despite the fact that we had a great many fires this year, We were able to bring the fires under control immediately using the system we’ve been implementing, as I’ve mentioned—the ‘Astrap’ plan.”
Glafkos Kyriakou
All relevant agencies place particular emphasis on prevention. Regular ground and aerial patrols are conducted daily, and the network of cameras installed to detect smoke—which covers a large portion of state-owned forests andforest-dependent communities.
No room for complacency
And while, fortunately, we have not yet experienced any catastrophic wildfires, all relevant agencies remain on high alert, as—even though summer is theoretically drawing to a close— the fire season in the country lasts until the end of October.
The first phase of the government’s plan to enhance technological defenses against wildfires has been completed, and the second phase is now underway, which includes, among other things: 31 new fire detection systems in forested, industrial, and critical areas. Surveillance balloons and an expansion of the drone fleet for improved aerial monitoring, as well as an expansion of the MANET wireless network, which will connect the Forestry Department, the Fire Department, Civil Defense, and the National Guard.
The government’s investment plan totals 25.5 million euros over three years and has already been approved by the Council of Ministers.
Watch Eleni Michael’s report:
