Greece bolsters fire services with 245 EU firefighters and 600 new recruits

Greece is preparing for the upcoming fire season by hosting 245 European Union firefighters from France, Moldova, Romania and the Czech Republic under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism’s pre‑deployment programme. The first deployments are scheduled from mid‑July to mid‑September 2026, with teams operating from bases in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras to assist in combating forest fires and to share operational experience.

At the same time, the Greek Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection announced the recruitment of 600 new firefighters. The new personnel will be distributed across the country according to regional needs, covering major urban centres, islands and rural areas to strengthen fire‑fighting capacity nationwide.