With temperatures remaining over 40 degrees Celsius for several days on end and accompanied by high winds in many parts of the country, Greece has had a difficult week for wildfires. On Saturday firefighters were fighting blazes in Attica, Evia, Kythera and Messinia. Residents in many areas were ordered to evacuate their homes via the 112 messaging system and there was widespread damage to forests and agricultural land, with destruction of crops and livestock and some houses.

The government invoked the EU’s RescEU civil protection system which enabled them to call on firefighters from other EU countries, with Czech firefighters and Italian water bombers joining the fray on Sunday. Particularly badly hit was the island of Kythera, where fires were said to be out of control on Sunday along a 15 km front, having caused severe damage in at least three villages, and destroying houses, beehives, olive groves and agricultural areas. Wildfires had burned more than 3,700 hectares across Attica, Evia, and Kythira by Sunday, according to satellite imagery analysed by meteo.gr. However, by Tuesday, according to ERT, Kythera was free of all active fire fronts.

On Crete, fires broke out on two different fronts in eastern Selino on Saturday afternoon, with residents in the villages of Strati, Asfendiles, Platanes and Azogyres receiving 112 messages to evacuate towards Palaiochora. Widespread damage has been reported to land and crops, and loss of animals.

Greece is not the only country to suffer in the current heatwaves, with major fires also reported in Albania, and in Turkey where unprecedented temperatures of over 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded in the South East. Temperatures in southern Greece are expected to drop this week to a maximum of about 38 degrees, but with winds of 5 to 6 Beaufort forecast on Crete and Kythera, the danger of fire remains high.

Stresses on personnel and equipment
The constant call on the country’s firefighting resources is a drain on both personnel and equipment. An incident reported on Skai TV on Friday 25^th July was a reminder of the stresses being placed on Greece’s aging fleet of Canadair water bombers. A type CL-215 Canadair – the oldest model with radial engines of the type which crashed on Evia in July 2023, killing its two-man crew – became immobilised when one of its engines failed while taking on water at Kiato in the northern Peloponnese. Fortunately the aircraft was on the water when it happened and the weather was calm, so the crew were able to stay on board for an hour and a half while the aircraft was secured and towed to shore. It was reported that the aircraft in question had been in constant operation during daylight hours for the past three days.

Updating the Canadair fleet
Updating the country’s fleet of water bombers has long been a priority of the Mitsotakis government. As we reported in an earlier post, production of the latest model of the Canadair – the DHC-515, with turboprop engines and updated avionics – had been delayed as the manufacturer De Havilland Canada, which had taken over the production rights from Bombardier, needed a minimum number of orders to start the production line. However, by March 2024, on a visit to Canada the Prime Minister was able to announce that Greece had signed a contract with De Havilland Canada to purchase 7 new DHC-515’s, the first of which was to be delivered in 2027.

In May 2025, Kathimerini reported that first deliveries were now expected in early 2028, while Greece would also also upgrade seven of its existing CL-415 aircraft to the DHC-515 configuration. At least two of the new aircraft will be made available for use in other countries via the RescEU civil protection system.

Ekathimerini quoted Jean-Philippe Côté, vice president of De Havilland as saying that production of Greece’s DHC-515s is already under way: “We plan to deliver the first DHC-515 aircraft in early 2028. The structural components of the first aircraft are already in production at DHC’s facilities in Calgary, Canada. The first aircraft off the production line will be delivered to Greece,” he told Kathimerini.

Also in May, De Havilland announced the launch of its new wholly-owned subsidiary, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Hellas Ltd., which will provide the company with a base in Greece from which it can more easily support the operation of the country’s Canadair fleet. In an announcement on the De Havilland website, Jean-Philippe Côté said: “We are proud to establish a regional presence in Greece, a country with a strong aviation tradition. … This investment will allow us to better address the specific needs of our customers in the region, delivering faster response times, improved parts availability, and personalized support.”

In a farewell message marking the end of her tour, on 27^th July, the Canadian Ambassador to Greece Anna-Karine Asselin, who has been involved in the securing of the Canadair contract, hailed the close cooperation between the two countries in many sectors, including aviation.

“CAE’s partnership with Aegean Airlines established Greece’s first advanced aviation training centre, now a regional hub for the Mediterranean. Air Canada has expanded its direct routes, and the recent Tourism MoU between our governments supports sustainable growth in this vital sector. In May 2025, De Havilland Canada established a subsidiary in Greece to service the fleet of its iconic ‘Canadair’ waterbombers, bringing operational benefits and reinforcing our shared commitment to climate resilience.”

The long lead time on the production of the new aircraft emphasises the problems of starting a production line for a new aircraft model from scratch, and the complexity and very specialised nature of the new model. In the meantime Greece will have to continue to rely on its aging fleet of CL-215 and CL-415 Canadairs, which as De Havilland vice president Jean-Philippe Côté pointed out, Greece has been flying for nearly 50 years.
(www.ekathimerini.com, 28/07/25, 27/05/25, 27/05/25, aerialfiremag.com, 29/03/24)