Greece to Deploy Drones and Sensors to Combat Wildfires

On Thursday, the Prime Minister of Greece revealed plans to deploy drones and forest temperature sensors to detect wildfires in their early stages.

The announcement came amid an ongoing crisis that has seen vast swaths of the country engulfed in flames during the summer months.

In some parts of the country, private citizens, community groups, and the private sector have already explored the possibility of using drones to monitor the spread of wildfires to act as early warning systems.

Drones and sensors will aid in the battle against wildfires in Greece

“Although we were better prepared than any other year, we faced an unprecedented combination of incidents,” commented Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Parliament.

Multiple wildfires have spread across Greece since July impacting areas across the country, including popular tourist destinations like Corfu and Rhodes. The latest fires have been occurring in the region of Evros north of Alexandroupolis. Just last week, at least 18 charred bodies were discovered in the region near the village of Dadia.

The Greek prime minister outlined the government’s intentions to procure one hundred drones to monitor wildfires from the air. At the same time, temperature sensors will be installed at vulnerable archaeological sites and forests where fires could cause the most damage.

Additionally, the government plans to increase manpower. As a part of the new measures, five hundred scientists specializing in forests will be hired alongside one thousand firefighters.

The measures were revealed amid ongoing criticism of the Greek government by environmentalists that more funds and resources are being allocated to extinguish wildfires than to prevent them.

Community and private sector initiatives

Drones and sensors are already in use by the private sector to detect wildfires and have been adopted by some communities in Greece ahead of the government’s announcement this week.

Last year, the operation of drones for early detection purposes was initiated in the southern Athens seaside suburbs of Vari, Voula, and Vouliagmeni. The use of these drones also appealed to residents of the northern suburbs of Kifissia, Ekali, and Nea Erithrea. In early August, an initial group of three concerned residents from these northern suburbs banded together to provide funding for the drones. This initial number soon swelled to about 320 people providing donations online for unmanned aerial vehicles.

Managed by drone pilots with advanced training for operating beyond the limits of visual observation and authorized by civil aviation authorities, these drones offer real-time imagery and are equipped to identify fluctuations in temperature. This enables them to forewarn their operators during the crucial initial phases, prior to the escalation of a fire.

Operating around the clock, the drones are manned by pilots who undertake shifts lasting six hours each. Integrated into Greece’s Civil Protection framework, volunteer teams collaborate closely with professional fire departments. Given the absence of a fire station within the broader Kifissia region, these volunteers frequently exhibit the ability to reach local fires more promptly.

The drone company’s operations are centered at the headquarters of the volunteer firefighters, ensuring their swift responsiveness at the slightest indication of a fire outbreak.

“The first few minutes are the most crucial for a fire,” commented Giorgos Dertilis, who leads the local volunteer firefighting unit. “At the start, it’s easier to put out the fire. The more the minutes go by, the harder our job becomes”.

The drone program has already enabled personnel to put out fires in the local area before they were able to spread or grow in size. Clearly, the integration of these measures at the community level is promising, but it is doubtful that poorer communities would be able to afford the operating costs.