The minister highlighted the need for a shift in urban planning, suggesting that areas near homes should be replanted with slow-burning trees instead of the pine trees he claims were introduced by the Romans. “A discussion has begun to change the planting near homes, replacing the pines that were brought to us, if I’m not mistaken, by the Romans,” he remarked.

Kikilias also defended the government’s response to the wildfires, mentioning the deployment of drones for real-time monitoring of fire outbreaks and a change in the aerial firefighting strategy to ensure aircraft are fully loaded. He countered criticism of the government’s handling of the fires, asserting that such critiques disrespect the firefighters. “It was a huge battle, fought at the risk of my firefighters’ lives,” he said, once again referring to the Fire Department as though it were his personal responsibility. This follows a similarly provocative statement where he referred to hosting SYRIZA President Stefanos Kasselakis at the Fire Department’s Operations Centre.

On the issue of compensation for those affected by the fires, Kikilias stated that the necessary technical approvals have been obtained from municipal authorities, and that initial aid of €600 would be disbursed soon, with full compensation expected by mid-September.

Addressing concerns about the future of the Fire Department, the minister mentioned that €1.7 billion in projects had been auctioned in the past 10 months, with €400 million already contracted, including investments in fire engines, Canadair aircraft, and other firefighting resources. He added that the forest commando units have been strengthened and that three new Canadair aircraft are expected to arrive by early 2027, with two more coming from the EU by 2030 and five additional ones to be purchased.

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