Lessons learned from the 2024 fire season in Greece

The 2024 fire season in Greece, despite expectations that we would not encounter extreme wildfire events (EWEs) like those of 2021 and 2023, proved to be another exceptionally challenging period. It is important to recall that 2021 and 2023 were some of the most devastating fire seasons in Greece in the past 15 years, with major wildfires in regions such as Attica, Evia, Peloponnese, and, notably, the 2023 Alexandroupolis fire, which became the largest wildfire in Europe, burning over 90,000 hectares. Although we hoped to avoid a recurrence of such extreme events, the 2024 fire season began with high and extreme fire risk levels, triggering early alerts for extreme wildfire risk. In June, for the first time, we were faced with a level three alert status due to the heightened fire risk. June 2024 marked the warmest June recorded in the past 64 years, further compounding the challenges. Regrettably, my greatest concern is that the coming years may see even more severe fire seasons.

Throughout the summer, our personnel remained on constant alert for over 132 days - surpassing four months of high-stakes firefighting operations. This marked the most prolonged engagement in the past four fire seasons. This level of commitment was not typically seen in other Mediterranean countries, including Spain, Italy, and France, and was even unprecedented in Portugal during high fire-risk months, though similar challenges were faced in September, indicating that the nature of wildfire risks is changing.

Fire statistics and aerial firefighting activities

From 1 January to the end of the fire season, we recorded 10,630 fires, resulting in the burning of 42,088 hectares of land. Despite the unfavourable weather conditions, we succeeded in keeping the total number of fires and burned area below the seasonal average. Our aerial firefighting efforts were particularly significant, with a total of 1,461 aerial fire interventions between May and October, logging over 11,000 flight hours and more than 36,800 water drops.

Fire behaviour and intensity

The behaviour of the fires throughout the season, especially in August, was extreme. We witnessed predominantly crown fires in pine forests, driven by wind and plume activity, which exhibited high intensity, rapid spread, and significant flame lengths. These fires also featured spotting activity, the formation of pyroCumulus clouds, and downdrafts—indicators of extreme fire behaviour.

Strategic changes and technological innovations

2024 marked the most challenging year in decades due to a shift in our fire-fighting strategy, the first significant change in 23 years. This year, we dedicated all resources to initial attack strategies, deploying both aerial and ground teams immediately upon the detection of a fire. From the very first indication of smoke, resources were dispatched without delay.

Additionally, we increased the frequency of ground and aerial patrols, particularly on high-risk days. For the first time, helicopters and Air Tractors flew almost continuously above Athens, providing vital support.

Moreover, we integrated advanced technologies into our firefighting strategy, including the use of drones, which operated across Greece, providing real-time aerial imagery and intelligence. This allowed us to respond to fires more effectively, often before formal fire alerts were issued. Drones were deployed in 41 high-risk areas, offering live video feeds to our National Coordination Centre for Operations and Crisis Management. These feeds provided immediate insights into fire behaviour, facilitating swift decision-making and resource deployment.

Technologies such as OroraTech’s wildfire solution, which utilises satellite data and advanced algorithms, also played a crucial role in detecting hotspots, monitoring fire perimeters, and predicting fire spread. The system enabled us to receive immediate notifications of fire outbreaks and track their progression.

Collaboration through the European EWED project

The European EWED project enabled us to collect scientific data, in collaboration with Mediterranean countries such as Spain, to analyse fire dynamics. We also experimented with launching balloons into fire plumes to gather valuable data, which will contribute to a better understanding of fire behaviour, particularly during extreme wildfire events (EWEs). By cooperating with other countries facing similar challenges, we are improving our capacity to confront these fires more effectively.

Detailed incident analysis

The fire season began on 21 June, with 71 fires reported on that day and a red alert for extreme fire risk. One of the first major incidents occurred in the Erymanthos area of Peloponnese, where a plume-driven fire spread rapidly, burning over 3,000 hectares. This fire demonstrated the intensity and speed of wildfire spread due to pyroconvective activity.

Throughout July and August, fires continued to spread across various regions, including Sofiko in the Peloponnese, the Alpine zone of Falakro, and northern Greece. Many of these fires exhibited unusual behaviour, particularly in high-altitude areas. By the end of July, two significant fires broke out in Evia, both driven by wind and affecting urban interfaces.

One of the most intense and challenging fires occurred on 11 August in Varnavas, Attica. Despite rapid aerial intervention, the fire quickly escalated due to high wind speeds and pyroconvective activity, burning over 10,000 hectares and affecting 30 urban communities. This event highlighted the increasing risks posed by fires near urban areas.

September brought additional challenges, with multiple lightning-triggered fires in remote areas, particularly in the Paggaio region of northern Greece. On 29 September, a fire in Rozena, fueled by strong winds, spread rapidly, burning 5,780 hectares over two days.

Key challenges and strategic responses

Several key challenges emerged during the 2024 fire season:

1. Extreme Wildfire Events: The fire in Varnavas, Attica, underscored the importance of understanding and adapting to extreme wildfire behaviour. We must continuously learn how these fires behave and refine our strategies accordingly.
2. Cross-border cooperation: The interconnected nature of wildfires necessitates closer collaboration with neighbouring countries. Shared procedures, strategies, and joint efforts are essential to managing cross-border fires effectively.
3. Alpine zone fires: Forest fires in alpine zones represent a new reality for firefighting, requiring revised strategies for high-altitude firefighting operations.
4. New technologies and techniques: We continued to use retardants and tactical fire strategies to support ground forces, while drones and satellite technologies allowed for more effective detection and monitoring of fires.
5. Prepositioning and international cooperation: The RescEU programme facilitated cooperation with Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Malta, and we also received assistance from countries such as Italy, France, Serbia, Croatia, Cyprus, Jordan, Czech Republic and Turkey during major incidents like the fires in Varnavas and Rozena. We also sent assistance to Cyprus, Albania and Bulgaria. 

Lessons learned

The 2024 fire season has provided several critical lessons:

• The increasing frequency and intensity of Extreme Wildfire Events, EWEs, necessitate a continued reevaluation of firefighting strategies and preparedness.
• Fire behaviour is becoming increasingly unpredictable, with higher intensity and faster spread, which poses significant risks to communities and firefighters.
• Collaboration with neighbouring countries is essential for managing cross-border fires and sharing best practices.
• Alpine zone fires require new methodologies for tackling fires at high altitudes and understanding their environmental impacts.
• The integration of new technologies like drones, satellite data, and advanced fire prediction models is crucial for improving fire detection and response times.

Additionally, we must ensure that fire prevention, preparedness, firefighting, and restoration efforts are more closely aligned and that forest management plays a pivotal role in mitigating fire risks, even in protected areas. The use of prescribed burns as a preventative tool, combined with effective community education on disaster preparedness, will be vital in addressing future challenges.