Greece doubles drone fleet as climate change increases wildfire threat

Firefighters fly drones during the drill (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP)

Greece is deploying a record number of firefighters and nearly doubling its drone fleet this summer to address growing wildfire risks driven by climate change.

Civil protection minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis said 18,000 permanent and seasonal personnel, supported by thousands of volunteers, would be mobilised as wildfire damage has increased steadily over the past two decades.