Greece plans to use detection drones and dozens of firefighting aircraft and helicopters to combat forest fires in the coming hot months, the government said on Friday.
In addition, the fire service will have more than 18,000 professional and seasonal staff at its disposal to fight the flames, according to a preparatory meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Emphasis is on the use of new technologies. More than 100 drone bases in particularly at-risk regions, such as the Athens metropolitan area and the Peloponnese peninsula, are set to pinpoint the fires at an early stage.
The drones are equipped with thermal imaging cameras and can also be deployed in extreme weather conditions.
According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), almost 48,000 hectares of forest and scrubland were destroyed by fires in Greece during hot weather last year.