Greece Activates European Civil Protection Mechanism to Combat Attica’s WildFires

Satellite image released by Copernicus, an Earth observation component of the EU Space Program managed by the European Commission, on Monday, August 12.

On Monday evening, Greece’s General Secretariat of Civil Protection, part of the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection, activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) to request air and ground assistance in response to the forest fires currently threatening Attica. These fires have been fueled by extreme fire risk conditions since yesterday afternoon.

The following countries have responded to Greece’s request:

– France: Sending one Super Puma helicopter equipped with a water bucket, expected to arrive this evening.
– Italy: Dispatching two Canadair firefighting aircraft, expected to arrive tomorrow morning.
– Czech Republic: Sending 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, including 9 water-carrying units, expected to arrive tomorrow.

Assistance from Spain and Turkey is also expected, according to the General Secretariat of Civil Protection.

To support Greece’s fight against the ongoing wildfires, the #EUCivilProtection Mechanism has mobilised:

️ 2 firefighting planes from the #rescEU fleet in Italy
1 helicopter from the rescEU fleet in France
Ground firefighting teams from Czechia and Romania pic.twitter.com/GXBkPAYFbx

— EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid (@eu_echo) August 12, 2024

High fire risk for August 13

Additionally, the General Secretariat has released the Fire Risk Prediction Map for tomorrow, Tuesday, August 13, indicating a very high fire risk (Category 4 – orange color) for the following regions:

– Attica
– Central Greece (Regional Units of Viotia and Evia)

Greek Fire Risk Prediction Map.

The General Secretariat has alerted the relevant government agencies, as well as the regional and municipal authorities in those areas, to maintain heightened civil protection readiness to address any fire incidents immediately.

Citizens are advised to exercise extreme caution and avoid activities that could accidentally ignite fires, such as burning dry grass and branches, using equipment that generates sparks (e.g., circular saws, welding devices), using outdoor grills, smoking out beehives, or discarding lit cigarettes. It is also a reminder that field burning is prohibited during the fire protection season.

In the event of a fire, citizens are urged to immediately notify the Fire Service by dialing 199.

For more information and self-protection guidelines regarding forest fire dangers, citizens can visit the General Secretariat of Civil Protection’s website here.