Owners can start registering the cleaning up of their properties on April 1, minister says

Property owners will be able to start clearing their homes and fields for fire prevention reasons and register their having done so as of April 1 this year, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Yiannis Kefalogiannis told Real FM on Thursday.

Kefalogiannis said in an interview, "I am reminding, and wish to make a public appeal, that (this) is an obligation of citizens to clean up their property. It is an individual's obligation and, of course, it is up to the municipalities to supervise and wherever necessary, when the cleaning has not taken place, to impose fines. Each of us must realize that by cleaning up their property they not only protect their own lives and assets, but their neighbor as well."

"This period we had fires, mostly by people burning wood during farm work. Despite the fact there was a week-long ban for such work, some of our fellow citizens unfortunately did not comply."

Kefalogiannis said that the fire season begins on May 1, and despite the fact it ends at the end of October, preparation for the next one is in the works.

Fire personnel

The minister also spoke of the number of firefighters available this year. "I can tell you it is historically the highest number. We shall have 15,500 permanent firefighters, plus 2,500 seasonal ones, for whom an invitation for applications has been posted, therefore they will be available the first ten days of May. I believe we are entering a great battle. We are speaking of a climate crisis, not a climate change," he stressed.

"Greece will be at the greatest possible point it has even been," Kefalogiannis added.

AA