With Greece’s wildfire season now in full swing and the first fires already recorded across the country, growing concern is being raised over the presence of dry grass and branches along the slopes of Mount Hymettus, just outside Athens.

The allocation of responsibility for clearing vegetation has often been a point of tension between local authorities and other governing bodies, while residents in surrounding areas are increasingly worried about the potential fire risk.

“It is surprising that one municipality is reacting”

“Mount Hymettus does indeed need to be cleared—we are currently in the midst of the clearing operations. Naturally, we expect to complete them in the near future,” said Isidoros Madis, Mayor of Paiania and president of SPAY (Union of the Protection and Development of Mt. Hymettus, a body formed by 12 municipalities responsible for managing and protecting the mountain), speaking to MEGA TV about the issue.

“SPAY consists of 12 municipalities. It is a surprise to everyone that one municipality is reacting. And it is reacting simply because we apparently did not start from the municipality of Elliniko–Argyroupoli. There are certain priorities and essential infrastructure areas on Mount Hymettus. That is where the clearing begins and, of course, it is completed across the entire area.”

According to Mr. Madis:

“The process began in early March on the part of the association, and of course, due to bureaucratic procedures, the contract was only signed the recently. However, for reasons of public interest, the contractor has already been in place since late May to early June.”

“At this point, clearing operations have been carried out in many municipalities,” he concluded.