Every summer, Greece experiences the same tragedy. Forests are set on fire , properties are destroyed, people are in danger, the country’s natural wealth is shrinking. And every time the official explanation is almost the same: climate change . This is a reality that certainly affects the conditions for the occurrence and spread of fires. However, when it becomes the sole cause of every disaster, it risks functioning as a political alibi , absolving those who should have prepared the country from responsibility.
The data show that the picture is much more complex. This summer, at least so far, has not been characterized by extreme temperatures comparable to those recorded in other European countries. Even more importantly, historical experience does not confirm that the hottest summers are always those with the greatest forest damage . In 2007 , 2021 and 2023, huge burned areas were recorded, while in 2024 , which was characterized as the hottest summer in recent decades, the losses were noticeably smaller. The same happened in 2012 , despite the intense heat wave, but also in 1987 , when the country experienced one of the deadliest heat waves in modern history without a corresponding forest disaster.
This does not mean that climate does not play a role. It does mean that it is not enough on its own to explain the extent of a disaster . Where prevention, planning and management fail, even a relatively mild fire season can become a national tragedy.
The most notable example is the Mati fire in 2018. That summer was not recorded as particularly hot. Nevertheless, the country lost 104 human lives , not because of any extreme weather condition, but because of a series of operational failures , shortcomings and organizational failures. The tragedy proved that state preparedness can prove to be much more decisive than temperature.
The same question comes up again today. How prepared is the country really before the first major fire breaks out? Are there adequate fire-fighting zones ? Are there forest roads that allow immediate access for ground forces? Are there special firefighting vehicles suitable for difficult terrain, water tanks , autonomous supply points and a comprehensive emergency response plan in the forest?
The answer that emerges from the images of each summer is not particularly encouraging. Greece has invested significantly in recent years in aerial firefighting equipment , either through purchases or leases. However, aircraft and helicopters, as necessary as they are, do not extinguish large fires on their own . They limit their spread until ground forces take action. However, if these are unable to reach the source due to a lack of infrastructure, then the battle is already unequal.
Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Greek state lies precisely in prevention . For decades, the countryside was abandoned, the traditional human presence in the forests was reduced and activities that functioned as a natural protection mechanism were limited. Cattle breeders , resin producers , loggers and residents of mountainous areas were not only part of the local economy. They were also the daily “guardians” of the forest, keeping fuel low and limiting the spread of vegetation.
Today, large parts of the countryside have been abandoned. Natural vegetation grows uncontrollably, fuel accumulates year after year and many forests are transformed into veritable gunpowder stores. At the same time, grazing , which in many cases functioned as a natural clearing of the forest, is significantly limited due to the current institutional framework. Thus, nature is left essentially unmanaged until the first major fire occurs.
Similar difficulties arise in the creation of forest roads or new fire zones . The required approvals, environmental procedures and time-consuming bureaucratic procedures often delay projects that could be preventive. The result is that interventions are discussed when the flames have already broken out, instead of being completed months before the start of the fire season.
Equally important is the issue of biomass . In many countries, forest and crop residues are used as an energy resource. In Greece, on the contrary, their use remains limited, resulting in large quantities of flammable material remaining in the forests, increasing the risk of widespread fires.
All of this creates a picture that can hardly be attributed solely to climate change . The problem is much broader and concerns the way in which the country manages , conserves and protects its natural wealth.
The climate crisis is a reality that no one can ignore. However, it cannot be used as a general explanation for every failure of the state mechanism . When prevention gives way to bureaucracy, when forest management is abandoned, when infrastructure remains incomplete and when operational preparation proves inadequate, then the responsibility does not lie solely with the weather conditions.
Because ultimately, forests are not lost only from high temperatures. They are lost when the state fails to protect them before the first spark is lit.
MAXIMOS TH. KYPRIANOU
