Greece Faces Wildfire Challenges as Seasonal Firefighters Demand Permanent Employment

Greece and several other European nations are grappling with worsening wildfires intensified by climate change.

On Thursday, hundreds of seasonal firefighters in Greece staged a protest outside the civil protection ministry in Athens, advocating for permanent positions as their contracts expired following a severe wildfire season. These firefighters, numbering around 2,500, now face unemployment until the next wildfire season begins in May.

Union representatives emphasize that climate change has prolonged the wildfire risk in Greece beyond the traditional May to October timeframe, necessitating a year-round firefighting capability. While wildfires are typically seasonal, this year’s fire season began unusually early in April and extended into autumn, with over 4,500 wildfires reported in recent months.

The 2023 wildfire season has already devastated approximately 1,747 square kilometres across Greece—more than four times the annual average for the past decade, according to the EU's wildfire monitoring service. Damage estimates for this year alone stand at 410 square kilometres, including a significant fire in August that reached the outskirts of Athens.

Evangelos Tsoukalas, head of the Seasonal Firefighters’ Association of Greece, noted that many experienced firefighters, some with over six years on the job, were ineligible to apply for positions in newly formed special firefighting units due to an age limit of 35. “Now our contracts are up, so we are being cast aside as seasonal firefighters,” Tsoukalas stated.

The Greek government has not responded to the firefighters' call for year-round employment.