Chaidari: approved fire protection works worth €7,563

A budget of €130,000 approved for the creation of fire protection zones in Chaidari risks remaining largely underutilized, as only works worth €7,563.89, less than 6% of the original amount, were ultimately approved for implementation. The municipality had submitted a technical specification to the “Protection and Upgrading of Forests 2024” program under the Green Fund, which finances prevention measures in municipalities with forest areas.

The proposal concerned the creation of perimeter zones of ten meters around settlements adjacent to high-risk forests. This is a vegetation clearing intervention at the forest-settlement boundary, aimed at reducing the speed of fire spread to buildings and giving firefighting forces time to respond.

According to the municipality, the proposal was approved in terms of feasibility, necessity, and budget. However, following the review of the technical report by the forest service, only one of the areas proposed by the municipality was included in the final decision, resulting in a drastic cut to the approved budget. The difference between the initially approved amount and what will actually be spent exceeds €122,000.

Within the administrative boundaries of Chaidari are sections of Poikilos Mountain and Aigaleo Mountain that adjoin residences, three hospitals, three military camps, school units, and sports facilities. It is one of the most complex zones of forest-urban interface in the western part of the Attica basin, where a fire can simultaneously threaten critical health infrastructure and densely populated neighborhoods.

The municipality cites the July 31, 2026 fire, which came within minimal distance of Dafni Grove. The grove was included in the initial study but remained outside the final approval, as did Prophet Elias Hill. The condition in the grove is characterized as particularly concerning, with accumulated fuel, dry trees, and branches.

According to the municipal authority, the approval was shaped taking into account other ongoing interventions, such as the AntiNERO program, resulting in a failure to reflect the actual needs of the municipality. With a letter to the Green Fund, Chaidari Mayor Michalis Selekos is requesting modification of the inclusion decision so that the entire approved budget can be utilized.

The issue gains additional weight as Attica is in an extended period of high fire risk. Just on Wednesday, August 12, a fire in low vegetation in Chaidari was brought under control in fifteen minutes with assistance from two helicopters. See related fire bans in Attica’s forests and groves and the record of burned areas in Attica-Boeotia.