Mitsotakis on Fires: 'Nature Overcomes Human Design'

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis acknowledged the immense challenge posed by the current wave of wildfires, stating that the intensity of extreme weather phenomena is pushing even the most robust state mechanisms to their limits. In his weekly message via Facebook, Mitsotakis emphasized that nature's fury sometimes surpasses human planning and operational capacity.

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There are moments when nature and the intensity of weather phenomena overcome any human design and any operational capability.

"There are moments when nature and the intensity of weather phenomena overcome any human design and any operational capability," Mitsotakis said. He noted that even with dozens of aerial firefighting assets, operations can become unsafe when winds reach extreme speeds. "When the winds blow with such intensity, even the dozens of aerial means we have cannot operate safely," he explained, adding that in many recent cases, water drops were impossible due to dangerous turbulence.

The Prime Minister detailed significant investments made in civil protection over recent years. These include strengthening the fleet of aerial and ground resources, adopting new technologies, hiring additional personnel, and improving operational organization. Despite these efforts, Mitsotakis stressed the need for continuous reinforcement of the country's capabilities to face increasingly extreme natural phenomena.

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When the winds blow with such intensity, even the dozens of aerial means we have cannot operate safely.

Mitsotakis expressed profound gratitude to the firefighters, volunteers, civil protection staff, security forces, armed forces, and local government workers. He particularly honored the memory of three firefighters who lost their lives while battling blazes in Rethymno and Gythio. "To their people, we owe our deepest sympathy. And in their memory, we owe it to ourselves to continue constantly strengthening the country's capabilities," he stated, underscoring the human cost of these disasters.

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To their people, we owe our deepest sympathy. And in their memory, we owe it to ourselves to continue constantly strengthening the country's capabilities.