Announcement · Municipality of Apokoronas

Apokoronas publishes wildfire evacuation plan for all six of its districts

August 12, 2026 Original source ↗

Summary

The municipality of Apokoronas has published a special plan for the organised, preventive evacuation of residents in the event of a wildfire. The plan covers all six municipal districts — from Armenoi to Fre — and sets out escape routes, refuge centres, and priority procedures for vulnerable people such as the elderly, those with disabilities, children, and pregnant women. Evacuation is not compulsory, but residents are urged to register in advance if they would need assistance leaving their homes in an emergency.

Apokoronas has a wildfire evacuation plan — and here's what it means for you

The municipality of Apokoronas has released a detailed plan explaining exactly how residents will be evacuated if a wildfire threatens their area. The document, formally called the "Special Plan for the Organised Preventive Evacuation of the Population due to Wildfire", is part of the municipality's broader emergency response framework and covers all six of its districts.

Who decides when to evacuate?

The decision to order a partial evacuation rests with the Mayor of Apokoronas, acting on the recommendation of the local fire service. If a fire affects more than one municipality, the Regional Governor takes over. For very large, multi-region disasters, the Secretary General for Civil Protection can issue the order.

One important point: evacuation is voluntary, not compulsory. Residents will be informed of the danger and encouraged to leave, but no one will be forced out. Those who choose to stay do so at their own risk.

Which areas are covered?

The plan applies across all six municipal districts:

Armenoi
Asi Gonia
Vamos
Georgioupolis
Kryoneridha
Fre

Each district has its own section in the plan, with maps showing evacuation routes and open refuge points. Villages that sit directly next to forest land are highlighted as the highest priority.

Where will evacuated residents go?

The plan designates specific refuge centres for evacuated residents, separate facilities for children, and collection points for pets and stray animals. Temporary storage areas have also been identified for debris and other materials that may need to be moved during or after a fire.

Vulnerable residents get priority

A key part of the plan is a register of vulnerable residents in every village and settlement — including older people, people with limited mobility, people with serious health conditions, and pregnant women. These residents will be prioritised for evacuation assistance.

If you or a family member would need help getting out in an emergency, you can register in advance using forms available through the municipal office. The plan includes two template forms: one for the vulnerable person themselves, and one for a personal assistant or family member acting on their behalf.

What the fire risks actually are

The plan is frank about the dangers. Wildfire smoke — made up of tiny airborne particles — can cause eye and throat irritation, bronchitis, asthma attacks, and, in people with underlying heart conditions, potentially fatal cardiovascular events. People with respiratory conditions, heart disease, the elderly, children, infants, and pregnant women face the greatest risk.

The plan also makes a point that many people might find counterintuitive: staying inside a solid, non-flammable building is often safer than jumping in a car and trying to outrun a fire. Vehicles caught in a fire zone — stopped by poor visibility or debris on the road — offer very little protection from heat, hot gases, and embers. Similarly, fleeing to a beach is not automatically safe if the fire is moving toward the coastline.

Water and food supplies in an emergency

The plan also maps the location of fire hydrants across the municipality and lists food businesses that can be called on to provide supplies during an emergency response.

What to do if evacuation isn't possible

The plan includes guidance on self-protection measures for residents who cannot evacuate — including how to shelter in place, seal doors and windows against smoke, and stay safe until help arrives.

Download the full plan

The complete plan — including maps for every village, escape routes, refuge centre locations, and registration forms — is available as a PDF:

Download the full evacuation plan (PDF)

Official source

Source translation

Machine-translated from the official source document.

ANNEX Θ:

SPECIAL PLAN FOR THE ORGANISED PREVENTIVE EVACUATION OF THE POPULATION DUE TO WILDFIRE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF APOKORONAS

(with its own numbering)

(An integral part of the PLAN FOR MANAGING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS CAUSED BY WILDFIRES UNDER THE CODE NAME IOLAOS 2 (5th edition) OF THE "MUNICIPALITY OF APOKORONAS")

BRYSSES 2024

PURPOSE
APPLICABLE LEGISLATION – INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
MORE RECENT INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
- 3.1 RISKS FROM WILDFIRES
KEY PILLARS FOR THE ORGANISED PREVENTIVE EVACUATION
- 4.1 Recommendation for the organised preventive evacuation of citizens due to wildfires
- 4.2 Decision-making for the organised preventive evacuation of citizens when the ongoing or imminent disaster due to wildfires affects one (1) municipality
- 4.3 Guidelines for decision-making on the partial organised preventive evacuation of citizens due to wildfires by the locally competent Mayor
ORGANISATION – IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORGANISED POPULATION EVACUATION MEASURE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES
BASIC PREREQUISITES AND LIMITATIONS
IDENTIFICATION OF AREAS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF APOKORONAS ADJACENT TO PERI-URBAN FORESTS
MAP OF FIRE SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY
ESTIMATED POPULATION DURING THE FIRE-PREVENTION PERIOD
REGISTER OF VULNERABLE POPULATION GROUPS PER MUNICIPAL COMMUNITY – SETTLEMENT
- 10.1 TEMPLATE APPLICATION – STATUTORY DECLARATION OF A VULNERABLE CITIZEN
- 10.2 TEMPLATE APPLICATION – STATUTORY DECLARATION OF A PERSONAL ASSISTANT – RELATIVE OF A VULNERABLE PERSON
REFUGE AND ACCOMMODATION CENTRES
- 11.1 REFUGE CENTRES
- 11.2 ACCOMMODATION FOR MINORS
- 11.3 REFUGE CENTRES FOR PETS AND STRAY ANIMALS
- 11.4 TEMPORARY STORAGE AREAS FOR INERT AND CARRIED MATERIALS
AREAS WHERE PARTIAL EVACUATION OF CITIZENS MAY BE APPLIED
AREAS WHERE TOTAL EVACUATION OF CITIZENS MAY BE APPLIED
METHODS AND MEANS OF INFORMING THE POPULATION
MAPS PER SETTLEMENT (WITH ESCAPE ROUTES AND OPEN REFUGE AREAS)
- 15.1 MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF ARMENON
- 15.2 MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF ASI GONIA
- 15.3 MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF VAMOS
- 15.4 MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF GEORGIOUPOLIS
- 15.5 MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF KRYONERIDHA
- 15.6 MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF FRE
FIRE HYDRANTS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF APOKORONAS
FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
ALTERNATIVE MEASURES in the event of inability to timely organise and initiate the measure of organised preventive evacuation of citizens
SELF-PROTECTION MEASURES WHEN THE FIRE IS APPROACHING AND EVACUATION OF THE POPULATION IS NOT POSSIBLE
WORKING GROUP

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of the present Plan "Organised Preventive Evacuation of Citizens of the Municipality of APOKORONAS" is the definition and determination of actions to be implemented for the organised preventive evacuation of the population, mainly in areas of the Municipality of APOKORONAS adjacent to forest areas and in all settlements of the Municipality estimated to be threatened by an ongoing or imminent disaster caused by wildfires or large-scale fires, with the aim of protecting the life and health of the population.

The present Plan entitled "Organised Preventive Evacuation of Citizens of the Municipality of APOKORONAS" shall constitute an integral part of the Plan entitled "Plan for Managing Emergency Situations Caused by Wildfires of the Municipality of APOKORONAS", which was drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the General Civil Protection Plan under the code name "IOLAOS".

2. APPLICABLE LEGISLATION – INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

Law 3013/2002 "Upgrading of civil protection and other provisions" (Government Gazette 102, Part A)
[Additional laws and documents partially obscured by image elements in the source]
Approval by the Minister of Interior dated 7.4.2003 of the General Civil Protection Plan under the keyword Xenokrates (Government Gazette 423, Part B')
Letter of the GGSCP dated [date]-12-2019: "4th edition of the General Plan for Managing Emergency Situations Caused by Wildfires under the code name IOLAOS within the framework of the General Civil Protection Plan under the keyword Xenokrates"
Letter of the GGP dated [date]-5-2020: "Publication of a Standard Template Plan for Managing Emergency Situations Caused by Wildfires for the preparation of plans by the municipalities of the country"
Letter of the G.G.P.P. dated [date]-4-2023: "Guidelines for the organised preventive evacuation of citizens for reasons of protection from an ongoing or imminent disaster caused by wildfires and guidelines for the preparation of special plans within the framework of the application of Article 23 para. 4 of Law 4662/2020"

3. MORE RECENT INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

According to the above item 7 letter of the GGPP, the more recent institutional framework is as follows:

With Article 1, para. 13 of Law 4662, it is defined that "Organised preventive evacuation of citizens (Evacuation) includes: the totality of actions for the preventive evacuation of citizens who are in danger due to their presence near an area threatened by a catastrophic event in progress. Specifically, according to Article 27 of Law 4662/2020, [evacuation is] a Civil Protection measure and is organised to protect the life and health of citizens when a documented area is estimated to be threatened by an ongoing or imminent disaster and the risk due to the presence of citizens in it is serious.

The decision on [organised preventive] evacuation of citizens is taken, in accordance with Article 29 of Law 4662/2020 and in accordance with the current institutional framework, the guidelines, circulars and regulatory acts of the administration relating to it, which remains in force after the publication of the present Law.

Any more specific issues not included in the above are regulated by a joint decision of the Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the respective co-competent Ministers, following a recommendation by the Secretary General for Civil Protection.

Specifically, with Article 29 para. 4 point στ' of Law 4662/2020, it is now explicitly stated that:

[the measure when it concerns a single municipality:] ... the Mayors, who coordinate the civil protection work for dealing with the disaster at local level.
[the decision when it concerns more than one municipality:] ... is taken by the competent Regional Governor, who may authorise the relevant Territorial Vice-Regional Governor accordingly.
[when it is of greater extent:] ... the decision is taken by the Secretary General for Civil Protection or, in case of his absence or impediment, by his lawful Deputy in the Civil Protection Coordination Body, the Commander of the Civil Protection Coordination Body, and is executed by the competent Regional Governors and Mayors.
[the decision] ... is based on the recommendations of the bodies that, in each case, bear the responsibility for limiting the effects of the developing disaster.

In the present case, given that the danger for citizens is caused by the outbreak and development of a wildfire, the competent authority for:

[the recommendation:] ... is the organ of the Fire Corps, which acts at local level as coordinator of the fire-fighting work, and
[the decision:] ... is the locally competent Mayor or Regional Governor or Territorial Vice-Regional Governor (in the event that more than one municipality is affected), etc., in accordance with the provisions of Article 29 para. 4 point στ of Law 4662/2020 as in force.

It is noted that the action of the organised preventive evacuation launched as a measure for the protection of citizens has a non-compulsory character, based on the timely information of citizens about the danger and the possible consequences of their presence in the area for which the decision of their evacuation has been taken for preventive reasons.

Finally and in accordance with Article 23 para. 4 of Law 4662/2020, as provided for in the Special Plan for Preventive Organised Evacuation of citizens, the following are included:

Guidelines for decision-making on the organised evacuation of citizens for reasons of protection of their life or health from the ongoing or imminent danger or threat.
[Traffic management measures, including] one-way operation of two-way roads.
Methods and possibilities of transporting citizens, including the use of public transport.
[Measures for vulnerable groups,] including persons with mobility difficulties or special needs.
[Accommodation areas and measures for] provision of administrative care.

It is noted that the preparation of the Plan will contribute to advance planning for the timely application of the measure, without losing valuable time collecting information deemed necessary for decision-making, taking into account relevant limitations and a scenario of the conditions under which a wildfire may manifest and develop in the future, which could potentially threaten the life, health and property of citizens.

3.1 RISKS FROM WILDFIRES

3.1.1 Risks faced by citizens due to wildfires

The risk faced by citizens due to wildfires stems from the exposure of the human body to very high temperatures due to the heat produced by the combustion of plant biomass, as well as from the exposure of the human body to combustion by-products (smoke, suspended particles, embers) which diffuse into the atmosphere.

In cases where, in the course of the development of a fire, other types of fuel are also involved and burned in addition to plant biomass, such as building materials, waste, etc., the risk varies depending on the type of fuel.

During a fire, the smoke produced consists of a multitude of suspended particles, the composition of which depends on the type of fuel material. The health effects of inhaling these particles vary depending on the characteristics of their composition, their diameter, the degree and duration of exposure, the atmospheric conditions, the health level of each person, and the reaction of each organism.

Specifically, according to Circular Δ1(δ)/GP oik. 49362/04-08-2021 of the Ministry of Health (ADA: 9ΣΤΧ465ΦΥΟ-627), exposure to fire smoke may cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract, coughing, bronchitis, and may aggravate or trigger asthma attack symptoms and in some cases respiratory function disorders such as shortness of breath. Also, in people with underlying conditions it may contribute to heart rhythm disorders and in extreme cases to cardiovascular events resulting in death.

Consequently, in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect citizens from the effects of smoke released from a fire fuelled by vegetation, particularly vulnerable individuals with respiratory problems or asthma, those suffering from respiratory hyperresponsiveness, persons with cardiovascular diseases, as well as the elderly, children, infants and pregnant women, must be immediately evacuated from the area where the fire is developing, or, if there are no other reasons, must remain inside their homes in enclosed spaces protected from the entry of smoke.

Another risk faced by citizens due to wildfires is thermal burns caused by exposure of the body to flames or hot gases. Particularly significant is the risk of burns to the lower respiratory system due to the inhalation of hot gases, which can cause significant complications and determine the outcome for patients, as their presence doubles the mortality of the burn victim.

The mortality of patients with thermal burns depends on many factors. According to relevant studies, mortality varies and depends on the location, size and severity of the burn, the age and health status of the burn victim, their gender, the coexistence of respiratory burns and the inhalation of smoke.

Based on the above, it is clear that the probability of survival of a person regardless of age is minimised if they attempt to evacuate on foot while exposed to high temperatures, hot gases, embers and released smoke, and the probability of survival is minimised if timely evacuation by watercraft is not secured, where approach is possible.

Also, the escape of citizens to the coastal zone does not guarantee their safety, especially when forest vegetation has great proximity to the beach. In these cases, especially when the wildfire is developing towards the coastline, citizens who flee to the beach will find themselves exposed to high temperatures, hot gases, embers and released smoke, and their probability of survival is minimised if timely evacuation by watercraft is not secured, where approach is possible.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the probability of survival of a person in a building constructed from non-flammable building materials is much greater than the probability of survival in a passenger vehicle located in the path of development of a wildfire exposed to high temperatures, hot gases, embers, released smoke and other risks, such as immobilisation due to obstacles on the road surface or due to low visibility, etc.

3.1.2 Risks to buildings due to wildfires

With the term fire, we characterise the unwanted and uncontrolled combustion of various materials. Combustion is an exothermic chemical reaction (rapid oxidation) in which large quantities of heat are released. Combustion requires the simultaneous presence of fuel, oxygen and heat. The removal of even one of these elements results in the interruption of the [combustion] and consequently the development of the fire stops.

A wildfire spreads to buildings and all types of infrastructure when the requirements for potentially available fuels and thermal loads are met, which, in the presence of oxygen, meet the prerequisites for ignition and continuation of combustion. That is, a wildfire develops and evolves/spreads as a continuous multiplicative process and not as a moving mass as in a flood.

Among the potentially available fuels of plant origin that will allow a wildfire to spread to a built environment, in addition to fuels of plant origin, the individual building materials of a building are also included, including materials in the surrounding area of the building of non-plant origin, the flammability of which, in combination with their exposure to heat caused by an approaching fire, will secure or interrupt its continuity.

It has been established that the heat released in wildfires is emitted mainly into the surrounding space in the form of radiation, which causes the rapid preheating and ignition of plant-origin materials located around the combustion area, as well as through the transfer (flow) of hot gas masses that develop above the combustion area.

The atmospheric air that heats up above the combustion area rises, carrying with it various combustion by-products (smoke column), which include burning, detached small pieces of combustible plant material, which are called embers (kaύtres).

The embers are initially lifted above the combustion area with the help of the hot gas masses (ascending hot gas current), and subsequently with the help of the blowing wind may be carried away and land at some distance from the burning perimeter, and if they possess the required heat, may cause new fire start points. The start of a new fire from embers at a small or large distance from the burning perimeter depends also on the flammability — probability of ignition of the receiving fuel material. In a wildfire that develops near or at the boundaries of a populated area, the embers with the help of the blowing wind may land on the roofs of buildings and, if they come into contact with a flammable building material or penetrate their interior, may cause a fire to start. The start of a fire from embers in a building can occur even if it is located at some distance from the burning front.

As high-risk zones should be considered the areas [...]

Note: The remaining sections of the document (Sections 4–20, including all maps, tables, forms, and appendices) are not fully contained in the extracted source material and are available in the complete PDF.