Background Forest fires are a common annual problem in the Mediterranean region. Most are directly or indirectly caused by human activities. The resulting loss and degradation of forested land can be devastating to human communities and forest ecosystems alike. Fires can alter the structure and composition of forests, opening up areas to invasion by fast-colonising alien species, and threatening biological diversity. Buildings, crops and plantations are destroyed and lives can be lost. For companies, fire can mean the destruction of assets; for communities, environmental degradation through impacts on water cycles, soil fertility and biodiversity; and for farmers, the loss of crops or even livelihoods. Local governments often have limited capacity to prevent forest fires. Communities are thus becoming increasingly involved in forest management and conservation, to the extent that many governments now expect communities to participate in managing fires. Objectives The main objectives of the Forest Cities project were to develop a network of Greek local authorities, to analyse existing forest fire prevention measures, to develop local action plans and to produce guidelines for forest fire prevention. Further, the project planned to evaluate the most cost-effective measures, and to train staff with the necessary skills to implement local action plans for forest fire prevention. Results The Forest Cities project strengthened the role of Greek local authorities in forest fire prevention, through the creation of a national network of local authorities for cooperation, knowledge exchange and communication enhancement regarding forest fires. The project’s actions were implemented with the help of 33 registered stakeholders, including all the project beneficiaries, municipal and other local authorities, regional and central government, and other interested parties, such as universities and NGOs. The project established a Greek National Experts’ Working Group on forest fire prevention, with the active involvement of participating stakeholders. This Working Group was involved with evaluating existing measures for forest fire prevention and in proposing new measures. The scope of the Working Group was to raise awareness and to provide a framework for closer cooperation in civil protection, especially in the fields of early warning, coordination and logistical tools, with a view to preventing or at least minimising the consequences of natural disasters. The Working Group produced a national report on the existing structure and management framework for forest fires, a report on local authority’s role within this national framework, individual reports on the management framework for certain municipalities, and a guide on best practices for forest fire prevention (with a ‘top 15’ measures highlighted). To introduce best practices in forest fire prevention, the project team developed a checklist covering cost-effective measures, training materials, local action plans and a DFF-Risk (Dynamic Assessment of Forest Fire Risk) platform software tool. The DFF-Risk platform is a simplified Information System, which uses forest fire risk assessment indicators and incorporates meteorological and climate parameters. Real-time weather information at a local level was also incorporated. A national forest cities network, comprising 134 local authorities was created. This promoted collaboration and information exchange between municipalities, and facilitated joint information campaigns and the organisation of volunteers for forest protection. Through network members’ participation in an e-forum, and the dissemination of a national action plan, government authorities were informed of the significant role that local authorities have in preventing forest fires. The project produced six local action plans, containing simplified methods for forest fire prevention that can be applied in all municipalities. The local action plans were based on the guidelines and other materials developed through the LIFE project. The project developed training materials and gained the active participation of local authorities in training seminars and dissemination events. Six municipalities were trained in the installation and operation of the DFF-Risk System, with a total of 80 people participating. Training sessions were also held on local action plan implementation. The project organised a national workshop and a site visit, and disseminated its findings through radio spots, newsletters, a website and other media. The project addressed the implementation of EU legislation on hazard mitigation (2001/792/EC, 2007/60/EC and 2013/2002), through an in-depth evaluation and assessment of the existing situation in Greece concerning civil protection. The project’s survey of 41.2% of Greek municipalities (representing 41.5% of the population) demonstrated the practical and legal issues as well as the obstacles for implementation of civil protection policies. A range of potential environmental benefits derive from applying the project’s methods, the local action plans and the DFF-Risk tool, including a reduction in the number of forest fires, reduced fatalities, reduced fire-damage costs and insured losses, reduced biodiversity loss, reduced CO2 (greenhouse gas) emissions, and reduced post-fire effects such as landslides, floods and desertification. The main innovative elements of the project were the establishment of a Greek local authorities’ network, the National Experts' Working Group, the web-based e-forum, the DFF-Risk tool, and the subsequent risk analysis maps for prevention and operational planning. The tools produced in the context of the project were demonstrated by selected local authorities. The Information System was applied at a pilot scale in six Greek local authorities with different characteristics, and it was disseminated to all interested competent authorities. The project provided opportunities for municipalities to create new green jobs, through the development and monitoring of the implementation of local action plans for forest fire prevention. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).