The response to the Greek request submitted through the European Civil Protection Mechanism for assistance in the battle against the flames on Evros was immediate.

The Romanian mission was immediately mobilized to once again offer its services to Greece, while two aircraft from Cyprus have already landed at the “Dimokritos” international airport of Alexandroupolis, which will also be the base of operations.

As announced by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in the midst of extreme and very high fire risk conditions prevailing in many areas of the country, the General Secretariat of Civil Protection proceeded yesterday afternoon to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism with a request to provide air and ground assistance to deal with the ongoing forest fire in the area of ​​Alexandroupolis.

The Greek request submitted through the European Civil Protection Mechanism was immediately responded to by:

• Romania, which offered to help with a dismounted unit with 56 firefighters and 10 fire vehicles, and
• Cyprus, which declared its readiness to send 2 Air Tractors, which have been included in the rescEU air fleet.

Also read: PROMETHEUS 2021 | Natural disaster scenarios and coordination of services

Mobilization of the Hellenic Armed Forces

In the evening, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), General Konstantinos Floros, went to Evros together with a government echelon so as to be on the fire fronts.

As was made known by the HNDGS:

Following the orders of the Chief of the HNDGS, in addition to the enormous contribution of the Armed Forces in fighting fires, patrols have increased throughout the area and especially in the Prevention Security Zone, but also in the internal routes by sector of the Formations in the area, while patrols have increased in the area with the participation of not-on-duty personnel serving in the Units and Formations in Evros.

Emphasis is also placed on the surveillance of the Greek-Bulgarian border in the sector of the XVI Mechanized Infantry Division and the 29th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and especially on routes that pass through minority villages.

Since this morning, 2 Companies of the 5th Special Forces Squadron have undertaken a surveillance mission with continuous patrols on the internal routes of Evros and Rodopi prefectures.

Also, the UAV HERON carries out surveillance flights over the Evros prefecture, transmitting live images and all necessary information to the National Operations Centre and the Joint Operations and Crisis Management Coordination Center. At the same time, emphasis is also placed on measures to secure the camps and military facilities in the context of increased security measures.

According to reports, the advanced ammunition depot in Avada has been evacuated by personnel, and no ammunition will be transported.

Also read: Cyprus | The fire in Limassol is under control – Support from Greece and Lebanon

63 forest fires in the last 24 hours

According to the fire service, from 6 pm on Sunday (20.08.2023) to 6 pm on Monday, August 21, there have been 63 forest fires. Most were extinguished immediately. Under extreme weather conditions, mainly due to strong winds, a huge effort has been made to manage the fire fronts that broke out simultaneously in many parts of the country.

The Deputy Press Spokesman of the Fire Service, Fire Brigadier Ioannis Artophios, emphasized that 214 firefighters with 11 groups of infantry units and 59 vehicles are operating on the forest fire in the area of ​​Melia Alexandroupolis, while 11 aircraft and 7 helicopters operated periodically.

Support is also provided by the forces of the Hellenic Police, volunteer firefighters as well as water tankers and equipment of the Hellenic Army and of the Local Government Organizations. In the fire in the area of ​​Prodromos in Viotia, 74 firefighters are operating with 6 groups of infantry units, while 10 aircraft and 5 helicopters operated periodically.

In the fire in the area of ​​Prophet Ilias in Psachna Evia, 92 firefighters are operating with 3 groups of infantry units, including 19 French firefighters and 30 vehicles, while 8 aircraft and 9 helicopters operated periodically.

In Kavala, 33 firefighters are operating with 1 infantry unit and 12 vehicles on the fire that broke out in a forest area of ​​the Dialecto area, along with 4 aircraft and 4 helicopters. During the fire extinguishing attempts, 2 firefighters were injured and taken to a hospital, while a fire truck suffered serious damage.

Also, in the fires that have broken out in Evros, 36 firefighters are operating with 1 infantry unit and 12 vehicles, while 4 aircraft and 4 helicopters operated in a forest area in Dadia Evros along with 16 firefighters with 7 vehicles. Furthermore, 2 aircraft operated periodically in a forest area in Lavara Evros.

In the fires that have broken out in Rhodopi 23 firefighters are operating with 11 vehicles, 3 aircraft operated in a forest area in Ano Drosini, Rhodopi along with 14 firefighters with 7 vehicles, while 3 aircraft and 1 helicopter operated in a forest area in Mischo, Rhodopi.

Yesterday afternoon, new fires broke out such as the ones in Kythnos, Tarsos Boeotia, Apokoronas Chania and Western Achaia. The University Hospital of Alexandroupolis was evacuated as a precaution. So far, 12 villages have been evacuated, while houses and a church have been burned. Thousands of acres of forest, arable land, apiaries and livestock farms have been burned to the ground, while a state of emergency has been declared in the region.

Also read: EU | Supplies Greece with Canadairs and airplanes for the fires