The state responded within 5 minutes after a drone located the wildfire in Varnavas on Sunday that developed into a mega-fire, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said in a social media post on Tuesday.

Responding on Facebook to criticism against the government over the fire that then spread in the northeastern Attica Region burning homes and businesses, Marinakis said that the fire was hard to manage as it broke out on a day when the risk of fire was very high, 5 on a scale of 1 to 5. "It should be noted that in less than two 24-hour periods, 27 pockets of fire broke out simultaneously in an area under 50 km long," he revealed.

Since May 1 this year, Greece has faced 50% more fires in 2024 (3,543) than it did during the same period in 2023 (2,344), he noted. "Climate conditions have created a reality we adjust to through our actions on a daily basis," the spokesperson said.

Firefighting expenditures

Concerning the number of active firefighters, Marinakis said this year Greece had 17,500 ("more than any other year"), while another 700 forest-related firefighters have been hired and thus the number of the so-called forest commando units have increased from 6 to 16. 

Based on Eurostat figures, "Greece leads the European Union countries in terms of the ratio of firefighters to population numbers, and second in terms of expenditures for fire protection as a percentage of the regular state budget," Marinakis underlined. He added that this year Greece also saw greater aerial assistance,with 89 airplanes and helicopters operating firefighting efforts compared to 2019, when it had 61.

Among other issues Marinakis mentioned was the government's focus on prevention, the use of drones to improve response times for new fires, and a stricter penal code for the crime of arson - intentional or not - as well as stricter sentences for forest arson, without a chance for parole.

In terms of the Varnavas fire, "The main priority is the immediate recording of damage suffered by individuals and businesses, and their quick restoration and support through all the opportunities that state aid provides. The Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry has already announced the measures," Marinakis said.