Greek Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas visited Porto Germeno on Wednesday morning to launch official damage assessments following a major wildfire.
Seven inspection teams from the General Directorate for Disaster Recovery arrived in the coastal town to record destruction to residential properties so compensation procedures can begin immediately.
Mayor of Mandra-Eidyllia Armodios Drikos briefed Tournas during his visit, estimating that between 40 and 50 homes in Porto Germeno suffered total or partial damage in the fire.
Drikos said inspectors would also assess two to three affected houses in neighboring settlements, alongside ruined crops and olive groves across the region.
Porto Germeno is a coastal resort village in West Attica located on the Gulf of Corinth at the foot of Mount Cithaeron, approximately 60 kilometers northwest of Athens. Mandra-Eidyllia is the municipality governing the region, which has frequently faced severe summer wildfire threats due to dense pine forests and high winds.
Damage Assessments and Environmental Impact
Tournas spoke with local residents during his tour of the area, hearing reports of property losses caused by the blaze that swept through the resort.
The minister said state officials were working alongside municipal teams to evaluate damage to private homes as well as the surrounding natural environment.
He added that seven specialized crews had been deployed to count losses swiftly so the government could move forward with restoring both housing and local ecosystems.
Tournas stressed that authorities were committed to carrying out all required recovery work for residents, noting that significant labor lay ahead for all teams on the ground.
Evacuations and Five Days of Firefighting
Drikos noted that inspection crews began work exactly one day after firefighters brought the wildfire under complete control in the area.
The mayor said officials and emergency services spent five days and nights without sleep, working continuously to protect human lives during the emergency.
He added that response teams carried out a massive operation to rescue, evacuate, and relocate residents, including individuals with health problems and citizens who initially refused to leave their homes.
Drikos highlighted that despite previous fires of lower intensity costing hundreds of lives in past years, no human lives were lost or endangered during the five-day emergency.
The mayor said he had been in contact with Tournas more than 1,000 times by phone during the five days to identify and address operational problems across the municipality.
Rebuilding Homes and Public Infrastructure
Following communications with the Prime Minister, Drikos said state procedures for damage recordings, assessments, and rapid compensation payments were activated immediately after the fire was extinguished.
The mayor assured residents that every affected house would be rebuilt better and more functional than before, even if repairs required going beyond standard regulations and specifications.
He acknowledged that the extreme wildfire had exceeded standard human capacities, technical equipment, and administrative procedures, but emphasized that municipal and state officials remained in the field around the clock.
State news agency APE-MPE reported that inspection teams will reach every corner of the municipality to evaluate all levels of destruction to homes, municipal facilities, and public infrastructure.
