Compensation measures and support for wildfire victims — including residents, farmers, and businesses — have been placed at the center of government planning following the devastating fires of recent days. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will chair an inter-ministerial meeting today focused on compensation measures, as the government has already signaled its commitment to the immediate assessment of damages and state support for those affected.
It is worth recalling that the multiple simultaneous fire fronts pushed the Fire Service, Civil Protection authorities, local government, and citizens themselves to their limits. In several cases, severe weather conditions prevented the deployment of aerial firefighting assets, severely hampering operational plans. “There are moments when the nature and intensity of weather events surpass every human plan and every operational capability,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis had noted during his weekly government review, referencing the catastrophic wildfires and highlighting the government’s efforts to strengthen firefighting capacity.
Emergency meeting at Maximos Mansion: Mitsotakis chairs urgent summit on wildfire relief
Maximos Mansion has firmly rejected criticism from the opposition, stressing that since the beginning of the fire season the firefighting mechanism has responded effectively to hundreds of fires across the country. Officials also emphasized that the conditions during the Attica-Boeotia fires — driven by fierce winds — made it impossible for Canadair aircraft to take off and operate, a factor that ultimately proved decisive in the spread of the fire fronts. Despite being stretched to its limits, the state mechanism remains on high alert, as weather conditions continue to be adverse and the risk of new wildfires is considered significant. For today, red alert status has been declared for the Region of Attica, the Regional Unit of Euboea within the Region of Central Greece, and the Regional Units of Lesbos and Chios within the Region of North Aegean. This decision was made following assessments by the Daily Fire Risk Forecast Map team of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, which predicted a Very High Fire Risk (Risk Category 4) for these areas.
Red alert mobilization status calls for the full activation of the National Civil Protection Mechanism, including the deployment of all necessary personnel, equipment, and resources, in order to ensure operational readiness to respond to potential emergencies and manage the consequences of forest fires. The protocol also includes the initiation of short-term recovery, relief, and support actions aimed at limiting the impact of any destructive events.
Key measures on the table
The meeting at Maximos Mansion, chaired by the Prime Minister, will include the participation of: Kostis Hatzidakis, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Stavros Papastavrou, Margaritis Schinas, Akis Skertsas, Thanos Petralas, Konstantinos Katsafados, Stelios Koutnatsis (Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s Office), Petros Kampouris (Secretary General for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Relief), Efstathios Stathopoulos (Secretary General of Forestry), Andreas Lykourentzos (President of ELGA), and Vangelis Gkountouphas (Director General of Forestry).
Among the measures under discussion are the suspension of tax and social security obligations, while the government has already announced support for affected businesses. As Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Kostas Katsafados clarified, a corresponding support framework will be established, under which damage to business premises will be treated on par with residential properties, while equipment and machinery losses will be eligible for a subsidy covering 70% of the assessed damage. Measures are also being considered for the agricultural sector, as many of the affected areas are agro-forestry zones. Mr. Katsafados noted that ELGA will undertake the recording and restoration of damages to plant capital, while compensation for livestock farmers who lost animals and assets will also be examined.
The state relief framework for wildfire victims includes compensation for homes and businesses, financial assistance of up to €6,000 for household contents and basic needs, rent subsidies for those unable to return to their homes, and tax relief measures. The state is activating this relief framework with the goal of providing immediate assistance to affected citizens and businesses and achieving the fastest possible restoration of damages. Eligible beneficiaries can receive full compensation for destroyed residences, financial assistance of up to €6,000 for household belongings and essential needs, rent subsidies for those unable to return home, as well as tax relief. All procedures will be conducted primarily online, following the necessary on-site inspections and official damage certification by the competent authorities.
