Nicosia, Cyprus. The Council of Ministers has approved an additional €4.16 million for measures aimed at preventing and responding to agricultural and forest fires, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Saturday.
Funding decision and objectives
Ioannou told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the government aims to strengthen preparation to deal with agricultural and forest fires in view of the summer season. He said the €4.16 million amount was decided following cost estimates by the district administrations in February.
Prevention measures and equipment support
The funds are earmarked for measures including cleaning abandoned agricultural land near communities, subsidies for community councils to purchase fire trucks and firefighting equipment, and the rental of earth movers during the summer period.
A portion will be reserved for procuring small, single-cabin fire engines fitted with a fire pump or an autonomous fire extinguishing system for community councils. Priority will be given to communities adjacent to forests where there is a shortage of such equipment. Additional funds are to be allocated so community councils can proceed swiftly with the measures.
Vehicle deployment and coordination
Ioannou said a total of 20 vehicles, including 12 earth movers and eight tankers, will be placed at points in Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos, based on a risk analysis and operational assessment by the competent services.
He said the forestry department already places vehicles in areas under its responsibility, contributing to faster extinguishing of fires. Ioannou added that, in combination with the appointment of a national coordinator for fires, the government’s goal is timely preparation by competent state services and communities ahead of the fire season.
Previous allocations
Ioannou said €1 million has been granted to 16 community, and a further €2.1 million has been approved for 23 community clusters to carry out clearing work for fire protection purposes.
How will your community use the additional funding to strengthen fire prevention ahead of the summer season?