A meeting with all relevant authorities was held at the Presidential Palace, chaired by President Christodoulides, to address the issue of wildfires, with the aim of ensuring that we do not relive the tragic events of last summer.

In remarks made following the meeting, Fire Chief Nikos Loginos stated that the meeting was attended by the ministers and directors-general of the ministries involved in forest firefighting, as well as the agencies and departments involved in fire suppression and fire prevention.

During the meeting, the agencies reported on the measures taken and focused on areas for improvement so that we are as prepared as possible for this year’s summer season.

“Vegetation is dense due to the summer weather; we are trying to inform the public and our fellow citizens in order to reduce the likelihood of a fire starting from actions that appear to be caused by human factors. According to statistics, unfortunately, over 90% of fires are caused by human actions.”

Mr. Loginos notes that the figure of 5,000 fires each year is a large number and we must reduce it, and this must be done through prevention.

As he noted, in accordance with the European Civil Protection Mechanism, all countries should now focus on prevention, emphasizing that the number of aircraft is not a criterion

“This year, starting April 1, we have 13 aircraft that are operationally ready to assist. A rapid response time, certainly, of all forces—the fire departments, the Forestry Department—is extremely important because, as you can imagine, in the early and initial stages it is crucial to contain the fire before it escalates.”

He emphasizes that emphasis was placed on reducing and cleaning up trash dumps, noting that communities are responsible for cleaning their own areas. He reiterates that Fire Department teams visited communities and briefed all community leaders, one by one, on how to manage their areas, as well as on creating firebreaks and clearing vegetation.

When asked if inspections are being conducted, he replies that the teams are set to revisit the communities to ensure that the instructions provided have been followed.

Regarding the garbage dumps, he states that they have been recorded, with their number reaching 850 last year.

“A large sum was allocated last year to community leaders to clean up these illegal dumps and monitor them so they do not become sources of contamination or fire hazards again, and this is being done again this year. In other words, an effort is being made to allocate funds so that the communities, which are responsible for cleaning up these garbage dumps—regardless of the difficulties they face—can prevent these sites from becoming fire hazards again.”

Mr. Loginos notes that if a fire breaks out at a landfill and the wind is blowing, it will scatter embers and debris, which can ignite fires 800 to 900 meters away from the landfill.

“So it is certainly extremely important to reduce the number of these landfills and, if possible, to eliminate them entirely.”

When asked if we are better prepared than last year, Mr. Loginos states that efforts were made and priority was given to addressing the gaps that were identified.