Nicosia, Cyprus. Fire brigade chief Nikos Longinos on Thursday urged the public to avoid activities that could cause fires as Cyprus enters the peak summer firefighting season. He said authorities had been preparing for months to address weaknesses identified in previous years and improve rapid response capacity.
Seasonal preparations
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Longinos said efforts had focused on filling gaps that existed in the past and strengthening the state’s ability to respond quickly to fire outbreaks.
Aircraft and surveillance deployment
According to Longinos, 13 firefighting aircraft have been stationed across the island since April, including eight in Paphos, two in Akrotiri and three at Larnaca airport.
He said surveillance cameras had also been installed in parts of Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca to assist with monitoring rural areas, while additional personnel had been deployed to countryside fire stations.
Preventive measures
Longinos said the forestry department had completed extensive firebreak clearing and inspections of water tanks and hydrants.
He added that communities had received guidance on clearing areas to reduce the likelihood of fires spreading into residential zones.
Evacuation readiness and operations centre
Longinos said civil defence officers had begun conducting evacuation exercises for the first time, while the CY Alert warning system is now operational to support emergency evacuations.
He added that a new fire brigade operations centre, built at a cost of around €7 million, is fully operational.
Planned upgrades
Further upgrades are planned through the installation of artificial intelligence assisted monitoring systems.
