Smoke began rising from a hillside fire near a residential area. A danger level 4 alert was triggered. The sound of fire truck sirens, helicopters, and Canadair water bombers filled the air shortly after 10:15 a.m. at the Panorama site in the municipality of Mandra.
That was the demanding scenario at the heart of the large-scale “DIA PYROS 2026” exercise carried out today by the Hellenic Fire Service.
The drill involved a large contingent of Fire Service personnel, water tanker trucks from local municipalities, volunteers, Army excavation machinery, and drones.
It all began with the detection of the fire ignition points, which in the scenario spread rapidly from the Agia Sotira area, by Fire Service foot patrols and patrol vehicles. The forest commando units (EMODE) were immediately called into action, as reported by orangepress.
Successive aerial drops followed, and within an hour the fire front had been contained.
