Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis presented a government plan at Maximos Mansion to support communities and restore environments affected by a major West Attica wildfire.
The meeting focused on natural environment restoration, anti-erosion and flood control projects, state aid for households and businesses, and agricultural sector compensation. Data presented during the meeting showed that the wildfire burned 111,000 stremmas, including 95,000 stremmas within the boundaries of the Attica Region. About 46,000 stremmas of the total burned area were purely forest land. Officials noted that significant sections of forest were saved due to prior prevention work and operational interventions by the Fire Service.
Director General of Forests and Forest Environment Vangelis Gkountoufas presented the initial plan for environmental restoration. He said primary priority will be given to anti-erosion and initial flood protection projects, which are scheduled to begin by mid-September or September 15 at the latest and conclude by the end of the year.
Antinero Program and Forest Recovery
The meeting included an evaluation of prevention work carried out under the Antinero program from 2022 through this year, which operated with a total budget of 20 million euros. Officials determined that these interventions helped limit the spread of the wildfire toward eastern and southern areas. Mitsotakis stated that the government has spent more than 500 million euros on prevention actions over the past five years.
Mitsotakis also addressed the long-term outlook for burned forest land, noting that burned areas, particularly those containing Aleppo pine, undergo a natural regeneration process that must be supported and protected. He stated that a burned forest is not lost forever and pushed back against impressions that all forests in Attica have been irreversibly destroyed.
Detailed data on environmental damage will be presented at the Ministry of Environment and Energy by the minister, the secretary general, and the director general, including an exact timetable for post-fire restoration actions.
Financial Relief and Business Support
The government announced a series of financial relief measures to assist affected residents, workers, and businesses. A bill from the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection will be submitted for a vote when Parliament opens, aiming to accelerate and fully digitize declaration and compensation procedures.
Specific financial support measures announced during the meeting include:
- Suspension of employment contracts for three months, accompanied by a special purpose compensation of 534 euros for workers at affected businesses.
- A six-month suspension and settlement of insurance contributions and tax obligations for affected businesses and households.
- A 12-month suspension of property auctions.
Following discussions with local mayors, who thanked the prime minister for state support, officials agreed to extend business support measures to the areas of Psatha and Alepochori. Directions were also given to the Greek Agricultural Insurance Organisation, known as ELGA, to proceed with compensation procedures for damaged crop and livestock farms.
Further specialized announcements regarding specific relief steps will be made by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
Damage Assessments and Private Donation
Mitsotakis stated that authorities expect a complete mapping of destroyed or severely damaged homes within 48 hours, by Friday. He requested that news media refrain from reporting unverified figures regarding damaged housing that do not reflect reality, assuring citizens that government funding for home reconstruction will move quickly within the existing legal framework.
Mitsotakis also announced that Helleniq Energy will make a corporate social responsibility donation of 25 million euros to support post-fire restoration and prevention efforts. The donation will place strong emphasis on West Attica to ensure restoration projects meet established deadlines and to reinforce preventive measures.
Meeting Attendees and Government Coordination
The meeting at Maximos Mansion brought together key national and local officials. Attendees included Vice President of the Government Kostis Hatzidakis, Minister of Interior Thodoris Livanios, Minister of State Stavros Papastavrou, Vice-President of the European Commission Margaritis Schinas, and Minister of State Akis Skertsos.
Deputy Ministers in attendance were Thanos Petralias, Kostas Karagkounis, Kostas Katsafados, and Pavlos Marinakis. Other government representatives included Secretary General to the Prime Minister Stelios Koutnatzis, Secretary General Efstathios Stathopoulos, Secretary General Petros Kampouris, ELGA President Andreas Lykourentzos, and Director General of Forests and Forest Environment Vangelis Gkountoufas.
Local governance was represented by Deputy Regional Governor of Attica Christina Kefalogianni, Mayor of Megara Panagiotis Margetis, and Mayor of Mandra-Eidyllia Armodios Drikos. Mayor Margetis and Mayor Drikos were specifically thanked by Mitsotakis for their close cooperation during the firefighting operations.
