STORY: Greece boosts wildfire prevention measures ahead of "tough" summer
SHOOTING TIME: June 5, 2024
DATELINE: June 6, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:36
LOCATION: Athens
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of wildfire
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Greek): KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS, Greek Prime Minister
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Greek): THEODOROS SKYLAKAKIS, Greek Environment and Energy Minister

STORYLINE:

Greece is bracing for an "extremely difficult" summer, and will strengthen its wildfire prevention and firefighting mechanism, as climate change threatens with scorching temperatures and heightened threats, according to Greek officials.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Greek): KYRIAKOS MITSOTAKIS, Greek Prime Minister
"A tough summer lies ahead, but we are better prepared."

The prime minister made the remarks on Tuesday during the inauguration of a Civil Protection Operational Center in central Greece.

Last year, 20 people lost their lives due to wildfires, over 120,000 hectares of forests and farmland were burnt and hundreds of houses were damaged or destroyed.

This year, authorities are preparing to battle the blazes with "more manpower than ever," namely mobilizing approximately 18,000 firefighters, including a specially trained unit, and investing over 2 billion euros (2.17 billion U.S. dollars) in new equipment, as well as seven water-dropping aircraft and 1,100 fire engines, according to Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

With just 88 aircraft currently in operation, and with the new orders set to be delivered from 2025, authorities may face problems if the country faces several widespread fires, as in previous summers.

Over 200 million euros will be invested in the creation of firebreak zones in forested areas and around settlements inside or near forests.

Since the official start of the wildfire season on May 1, crews have begun clearing tens of thousands of hectares of forests to contain potential fires, a task that will continue for at least one more month, Environment and Energy Minister Theodoros Skylakakis told a press conference on Monday.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Greek): THEODOROS SKYLAKAKIS, Greek Environment and Energy Minister
"(Our goal) is to increase the resilience of our defense against the very large wildfires like the ones we experienced last year and in previous years. Unfortunately, (there is) a very high possibility that we will witness (such fires) in coming years."

Although the wildfire season has only just officially started, Greek firefighters have already combatted some 70 blazes a day from early April this year, as the country recorded its warmest winter and spring since the 1960s, according to Greek meteorologists. The thermometer hit 30 degrees Celsius as early as March this year.

Citizens are asked to play their part. Owners of properties within or at 300 meters from forests are called to chop down trees and remove piles of firewood and gas tanks from their yards to help reduce fire risk and facilitate efforts to contain the spread of flames, Skylakakis said.

Destructive wildfires in Greece are not only linked to climate change but also to negligent arson. Therefore, Greece's penal code has recently been made stricter and negligent arson is no longer considered a misdemeanor. Those starting fires negligently during gardening or work face stricter penalties and fines, Kikilias said recently. From the start of this year, over 300 individuals have been arrested for negligent arson, and perpetrators face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 200,000 euros, the official said.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Athens.
(XHTV)