Greece deploys record firefighters and more drones for wildfire season

Greece is deploying a record number of firefighters and nearly doubling its drone fleet this summer to address growing wildfire risks driven by climate change, officials said Thursday.

- By DEREK GATOPOULOS

Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis said 18,000 permanent and seasonal personnel, supported by thousands of volunteers, would be mobilized as wildfire damage has increased steadily over the past two decades.

"It is clear that the conditions this year will be particularly difficult," Kefalogiannis told reporters after attending a firefighting exercise south of Athens.

Rising average temperatures and low rainfall have significantly worsened conditions in recent years.