The particularly demanding work that firefighters are called upon to carry out during the fire season was highlighted on Thursday morning (13/08) by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas.
Read: Tournas at the Civil Protection Coordination Body meeting: “Tomorrow is an extremely critical day” – “No room for complacency” (Images)
Speaking to ANT1, he stated that there have been “2,700 wildfires since the start of the fire season, with more than 500 recorded so far in August alone.” He also explained that there are 11 areas where fires broke out in recent days, where firefighters remain on standby due to the risk of reignition.
What Evangelos Tournas said about the wildfires
With the weather conditions expected over the next 24 hours in mind, Mr. Tournas noted that “forces have been repositioned so that aircraft can take off from airports with lower wind speeds.” He also warned that “we will pursue arsonists by every means available. Out of the 2,700 wildfires, we have solved 696 cases resulting in fines, made 285 arrests under flagrante delicto procedures, with 9% of fires found to have been set intentionally,” he said.
