Urgent appeal from fire department commander of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace: “Do not light fires for any reason”

The Commander of the Fire Department of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (EMT), Mr. Spyros Koutras, issued an urgent appeal to citizens via ERT, urging them not to light fires under any circumstances or engage in activities that produce sparks in open areas due to the extremely high risk of wildfires.

“The years we are living through now bear no resemblance to even the previous five-year period. Due to climate change, reduced rainfall, and high temperatures, the environment resembles flammable material and fires spread extremely fast,” Mr. Koutras stressed.

He warned against complacency, explaining that embers can travel over 100 or even 200 meters, igniting new fires.

“Some people think the fire won’t reach them, but they’re wrong. Many individuals who tried to clear their plots on their own ended up being burned themselves. You don’t play with fire,” he emphasized.

Mr. Koutras also called on citizens—especially farmers—to stay alert and encouraged the formation of first-response teams in every settlement.

These teams, he suggested, would carry out initial firefighting actions in case of a blaze, until the fire department can arrive with full force.

“A fire can be extinguished in the first hour. After that, it becomes a huge problem,” he concluded.