A working conference with the Deputy Mayors of Civil Protection of all the Municipalities of Attica was held today by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas, on coordination the clean-up activities of land areas, conduct conformity checks and implement the institutional framework for sanctions with a view to the culmination of the anti-fire period.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Minister stressed that the country is entering a particularly demanding period, as scientific assessments speak of high temperatures and drought in the coming months, while the intense vegetation that developed after this year's rainfall has significantly increased the amount of available fuel.
As he said, "we are entering a difficult really anti-pyrotic period", as the combination of drought, high temperatures, winds and increased fuel promotes both the start and rapid spread of fires.
Mr. Tournas reiterated that the two main objectives of this year's design are to reduce the number of fires and reduce fuel, pointing out that this is an effort in which everyone must participate: the State, the Municipalities, the competent services and the citizens.
Referring to the data from the current anti-pyrotic period, he noted that as of 1 May 803 fires have been recorded throughout the country, reduced by 14% compared to average of the last twenty years, but, as he pointed out, he remains particularly high. At the same time, he stressed that when many fires occur on the same day, there is a serious division of forces, both in the air and on the ground, which makes the need to limit the openings even more urgent.
The Minister was particularly involved in dealing with arsons by negligence or intent, noting that "we are hunting the arsonist, either by negligence or by intention", with now enhanced the Directorate for Combating Crimes of Incendiary and with 37 Local Crimes Response Cells throughout the territory.
As he said, To date 435 administrative fines have been imposed for infringements of fire legislation, fines totalling around 443,000 euros have been secured and 95 arrests have been made in the context of the self-imposed procedure. He also stressed that the competent services now have the experience and means to identify the causes and causes of the fires, using the 108 drones network throughout the country, 33 of which operate in Attica.
FinesFailure to comply with cleaning and declaration obligations shall be subject to significant penalties.
In particular:
- What?Fine EUR 500 is imposed on all those who have not cleared their land and have not made a statement.
- Plus, fine EUR 100 is imposed on all those who have carried out the cleaning but have not submitted the relevant statement.
Submitting false declaration is punishable with a penalty of EUR 5,000 and a prison sentence of at least six months.
In cases of inability to submit electronically, due to age, disability, force majeure or other objective difficulty, the declaration may be submitted to a JEP or to the competent Fire Department.
If the owner has not complied with the obligation to clean and maintain the land during the anti-fire period, the municipality may impose a fine of EUR 1 per square metre, with a minimum amount of EUR 200 and a maximum of EUR 2,000.
During the interview Press, the minister placed particular emphasis on the issue of land purification. Mr. Tournas noted that some 530,000 clean-up statements have been submitted to the special platform to date and called on the municipalities to complete their work immediately, but also to facilitate citizens in managing cleaning residues.
In this context, he asked the Municipalities to designate and disclose sites for gathering pruning and plant residues, so that citizens who clean their properties would know where they can deposit them. As he said, it is crucial that the municipalities stand next to the citizens, because "the more we work now, the less work we will have later", when the country enters the most difficult phase of summer.
The Minister made it clear that the time limit for cleaning and declaration of land shall expire on 22 June. and no further extension will be given. "The climate crisis does not give us an extension. The phenomena are coming and we should deal with them," he stressed, calling on the municipalities from 23 June to start checks, recordings and the imposition of the planned fines.
At the same time, he stressed that the implementation of sanctions is not an end in itself, but a necessary tool for protecting life, property and the environment. As he said, "you are not doing thanks to the citizen who cleaned up, doing thanks to the one who did not clean up", pointing out that those who do not comply endanger not only their property, but also their neighbors, settlements and the natural environment.
Mr. Tournas also announced that the Fire Corps would actively assist the Municipalities in the controls, with local Fire Services working with the municipal authorities to register violations and enforce the planned fines.
Closing the meeting, the Minister called on all stakeholders to continue with intensity the prevention actions, stressing that reducing fires and reducing fuel are a prerequisite for safer settlements and a more effective operational response. "By reducing the number of fires and reducing fuel, we make our regions more durable and the civil protection mechanism more effective," he concluded.
The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Interior Mr. Vassilis Spanakis, the Secretary General of Civil Protection Mr.Nikos Papaevstathiou, the Chief of Fire Corps Lieutenant General Theodoros Vayas, the Deputy Chief of the Fire Corps Lieutenant General Anastasios Papas, the Chief of the Fire Corps Lieutenant General Athanasios Balafas, the South Aegean Inspector General Dimitrios Briolas, the Chief of the Department of Fire Services Major General Alexander Mavraganis, the Head of the Administrative Support Branch Asterios Tsiurvas, the Director of Operations of Attikis Major General Vincent Marinakis and the Chief of Regional Fire Services of Attiki Archyragos Vasilios Zafeiris.
After the meeting the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas noted:
"Today we gathered with the Deputy Mayors of Civil Protection and those responsible for Civil Protection of the Municipalities of Attica, just to see what they have done in the area of prevention, preventive actions on their part, but also on the part of their citizens, in view of the anti-pyric period that we are going through and we appreciate that from next week it will be difficult for us. So, then, we had to look at the issue of cleaning up the municipal areas and also the land areas that the people have to clean up.
The extension was given last week. This deadline expires on the 22nd. From next Tuesday, checks will begin and, unfortunately, fines will be imposed, because another extension we cannot give. The climate crisis doesn't wait, it doesn't give us another extension. So everyone should adapt by Monday to complete the work, so as to improve resilience, reduce the risk and be more ready to face the difficulties that the climate crisis brings us in the coming period."
In turn the Deputy Minister of Interior, Vassilis Spanakis:
"Local Government is ready and in direct collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the Fire Corps. Today we were able to discuss several issues in order to address the difficulties of the anti-pyrotic period. Each anti-pyric period has its own characteristics. Therefore, today we discussed the specific characteristics of this year, and with the relevant Deputy Mayors of the Municipalities of Attica we spoke about the characteristics of each region and the direct actions that we must take as competent ministries.
I am very satisfied with the readiness of the Local Government and I must thank both the Deputy Mayors and the Mayors and the civil protection workers and the Government as a whole for their readiness. Land cleaning must continue over the next few days. It is something too important to deal with the particularities of this year's anti-pyrotic period."