Nearly four in ten Limassol wildfire compensation claims rejected

Limassol, Cyprus. Nearly four in ten applications for compensation for property damage caused by last year’s Limassol wildfires were rejected, according to information released on Monday by Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou.

The government has paid €15.3 million in compensation and other fire-related expenses to date.

Compensation claims

Ioannou provided the figures in response to a formal question by Alma MP Michalis Paraskeva.

Of the 863 compensation applications submitted, 536 were approved and 327 were denied.

Sixty-five applicants objected to decisions made by the cabinet-appointed special committee that assessed the claims. An objections committee later approved 27 objections and rejected 35, while two remain pending.

All affected people have been informed in writing, Ioannou said, adding that decisions by the objections committee are final and irrevocable.

Underinsured and Turkish Cypriot properties

Authorities examined 78 compensation claims concerning underinsured structures or premises. Of these, 29 were approved, 33 were rejected and further documentation was requested in 16 cases.

Seven applications concerning Turkish Cypriot properties were also examined. Four involved residences, two concerned agricultural warehouses and one related to a prefabricated container.

Payments and wildfire damage

Of the €15.3 million paid, €10.7 million covered direct property damage. The remaining amount covered other expenses, including free temporary hotel accommodation for fire victims and one-off financial assistance for community councils in affected areas.

Wildfires broke out near the village of Malia on July 23, 2025, during a severe heatwave in which temperatures exceeded 44C. The fires spread through Limassol District during the day and night, destroying multiple villages and prompting evacuations in more than a dozen areas.