Important meeting held in Komotini ahead of fire season
Preparations have accelerated in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace ahead of the fire season. The common goal of all stakeholders is to protect human lives, property, infrastructure, and the natural environment.
On Monday, May 19, 2025, a comprehensive Civil Protection Coordination Meeting was held in Komotini, chaired by Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Yannis Kefalogiannis. The meeting took place in the former Rodopi Prefecture building under the leadership of the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Regional Administration. Participants included Deputy Minister of Interior Konstantinos Gioulekas, Fire Department Chief Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias, and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Regional Governor Hristodoulos Topsidis.
Minister Kefalogiannis summarized the strategy for the 2025 fire season as follows:
“Fewer fire ignitions, rapid containment, and a holistic approach. We are preparing for the 2025 fire season with this understanding. Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is strengthened this year with additional personnel, 6 drones, and advanced land and air vehicles.”
Deputy Minister Gioulekas emphasized the importance of effective coordination among all relevant institutions:
“Coordination between regional authorities, municipalities, fire services, armed forces, forest directorates, and DIKAFKA is critical. Our goal is to prevent incidents promptly and effectively.”
Fire Department Chief Vagias highlighted that forest fires now spread faster and more aggressively. He stated that updated operational plans aim to respond to every fire with the highest capacity.
2024 Review: Record Number of Fires
Regional Governor Topsidis pointed to the following figures during his evaluation of the 2024 fire season:
- 1,545 rural and forest fires — the highest number in the region in the last 15 years.
- 66 days with fire risk level 3 or higher.
- 2025 Preparations: 7-Point Prevention Package
Governor Topsidis summarized this year’s preparations under seven main points:
- Early bans on forest access based on fire service recommendations at the provincial level.
- Updated digital coordination infrastructure, including online accessible intervention teams, vehicle inventories, and a private sector machinery database.
- Preventive cleaning operations along roadsides and forest paths.
- Expanded drone network: 11 drones active in total — 6 provided by the ministry, 5 by the region.
- €10 million investment in new equipment and technology funded by ESPA.
- Establishment of a climate change observation center to develop risk analyses and resilience strategies.
- AIGIS Program: Strengthening the Civil Protection Mechanism with ministry support.
Topsidis concluded by noting that drought and climate crisis pose new risks to the region and thanked Minister Kefalogiannis for his support.
Visit to Red Cross Operations Center
Following the meeting, Minister Kefalogiannis, Deputy Minister Gioulekas, and Governor Topsidis visited the Greek Red Cross Operations Center in Kafkasköy. They were briefed on equipment and volunteer training, praised the volunteers’ efforts, and discussed support for the center.
This meeting demonstrated that all stakeholders in the region are working in full coordination and taking preparations for the 2025 fire season seriously.
