Over 700,000 plot cleaning declarations submitted ahead of fire season deadline

A total of 701,823 plot cleaning declarations were submitted by citizens across Greece ahead of the fire protection deadline on Sunday, June 15, according to official data released by the Civil Protection agency.

The final day saw a surge in activity, with nearly 90,000 declarations filed via the government’s digital platform — a testament to growing public awareness and engagement in wildfire prevention efforts.

This year’s deadline came earlier than last year's extended period, which had run until mid-July, making the high turnout especially notable. Authorities praised the response as a positive step toward enhancing fire safety across the country.

Municipal engagement has also shown remarkable improvement. 329 out of 334 municipalities are now linked to the online system — a dramatic increase from last year’s 55% participation rate. This connection enables better oversight, coordination, and enforcement.

With the declaration phase now closed, systematic inspections are scheduled to begin immediately. These will be conducted jointly by the fire service and local municipal authorities. Civil Protection officials warned that administrative sanctions will be enforced for failure to comply, and criminal charges may be brought against those found to have filed false or misleading declarations.

A new joint ministerial decree has strengthened the fire service’s authority, granting it power to investigate citizen complaints submitted through the platform and to impose fines directly where violations are verified.

In tandem, municipalities are required to conduct random inspections on at least 5% of declarations within their area to ensure genuine compliance.

The initiative is part of Greece’s broader strategy to prevent devastating wildfires, which have become increasingly frequent and severe due to climate change. Authorities urge continued vigilance and community cooperation as summer approaches.