Fire Protection Season 2025: Fire Risk Forecast Map – Restricted Access Areas
The Directorate for Civil Protection and Climate Crisis of the South Aegean Region announces that from May 1, 2025 to October 31, 2025, the Daily Fire Risk Forecast Map will be issued by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection. This map is available at: https://bit.ly/2RcEa12, starting from 12:30 p.m. on the previous day.
The map includes five risk categories. Categories 3 and 4 indicate high and very high risk, respectively, while Category 5 denotes a state of alert. These classifications do not refer to the existence of a fire, but to the likelihood of a fire starting, due to specific prevailing conditions (wind, temperature, humidity, etc.). Press releases will be issued to inform the public and raise awareness to avoid actions that could potentially cause a wildfire.
Throughout the fire protection period, there will be a ban on entry, stay, and circulation of individuals and vehicles in NATURA areas, forest ecosystems, parks, and groves, as defined in Law 998/1979 (Government Gazette A’ 289), in areas specified in the following decisions by the Deputy Regional Governors of the Cyclades and Dodecanese:
- For the Cyclades Regional Unit, Decision No. 1652/12-5-2025 (ADA 6ΣΗΙ7ΛΞ-1Τ9) applies, concerning specific areas on the islands of Andros and Naxos.
- For the Dodecanese Regional Unit, Decision No. 1653/12-5-2025 (ADA ΨΛΠ17ΛΞ-8ΗΒ) applies, concerning designated areas on the islands of Rhodes, Symi, Kos, Kalymnos, and Karpathos.
The restrictions will apply on days when the fire risk index reaches:
- Category 3: from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day, only in the designated areas of the Dodecanese.
- Category 4: from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the next day, in all designated areas of the South Aegean.
- Category 5: throughout the entire day until 6:00 a.m. the following morning, in all designated areas of the South Aegean.
Exceptions are made for individuals who reside or work in these areas, strictly for commuting purposes, as well as for those traveling on the road network, unless otherwise restricted by competent authorities in accordance with Article 130 of Law 4926/2022 (Government Gazette A’ 82/2022).
Non-compliance with the above decisions will result in an administrative fine of €300, as stipulated in Law 4926/2022, Article 129(4).
For more information, please visit:
- General Secretariat for Civil Protection – Wildfire Protection Guidelines (in Greek)
- South Aegean Region – Civil Protection Section
Issued in Ermoupolis, May 19, 2025
