Pachna, Cyprus. A donation of around €30,000 from the Federation of Cypriot Organisations of America will fund protective equipment for volunteer firefighters serving communities affected by the 2025 wildfire in the Limassol mountains.
The federation’s delegation visited Pachna and received an update on reconstruction work and measures taken following the fire.
Recovery efforts
The delegation met Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities Charalambos Christofinas, chief fire officer Nikos Longinos and local community leaders.
Christofinas thanked the federation for its contribution and said the state had made significant progress in meeting the needs of affected communities one year after the wildfire.
Of approximately 980 homes that sustained total or partial damage, eight cases remain unresolved under compensation schemes approved by the cabinet, he said.
The interior ministry is preparing a report for the cabinet so the remaining cases can be examined, Christofinas added. He said justified claims would be covered.
Volunteer firefighter protection
Christofinas said the cabinet had approved measures in 2024 to strengthen protection for volunteer firefighters. The federation’s donation will support those measures through the purchase of protective uniforms.
Longinos said the donation would reinforce the recently established volunteer firefighter scheme in local communities, which has cabinet approval and provides insurance cover for volunteers.
He said volunteers are trained by the fire service and forestry department and, alongside the deployment of small fire engines, provide an initial response to wildfire incidents.
