ATHENS, Greece — Hundreds of seasonal firefighters gathered outside Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry Thursday, demanding permanent positions as their contracts expire following a grueling wildfire season.

The protesters, many wearing their tan and red uniforms, used whistles and aerosol horns while carrying Greek flags during the demonstration. They represent some 2,500 firefighters whose short-term contracts ended Thursday, leaving them unemployed with the opportunity to be re-hired next May.

Union representatives argue that climate change has extended Greece’s fire risk beyond the traditional summer months, requiring a year-round firefighting capability. The 2023 fire season saw an estimated 1,747 sq. kilometers (675 sq. miles) burned — more than four times the annual average of the past decade, according to the European Union’s wildfire monitoring service.

The damage so far this year is estimated at 410 sq. kilometers (158 sq. miles) and includes a major fire that reached the outskirts of Athens.

Evangelos Tsoukalas, head of the Seasonal Firefighters’ Association of Greece, told the Associated Press that many of its members with six or more years of experience had been barred from applying for positions in special firefighting units opened this year, because the age limit was set at 35.

“There is an age cut-off (for those positions). And now our contracts are up, so we are being thrown out as seasonal firefighters,” Tsoukalas said.

While seasonal firefighters typically serve from May through October, union officials argue their experience is invaluable, particularly given Greece’s increasingly severe fire seasons.

There was no immediate response from the government to the demand for year-round employment. Greece is grappling with adapting its firefighting capabilities to meet the challenges of longer, more intense fire seasons.

June and July this summer were the hottest on record in Greece, according to preliminary data from the weather service of the National Observatory of Athens. ___ Follow global coverage at: https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment