Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus is facing what fire brigade chief Nikos Longinos described as potentially the most dangerous day of this year’s wildfire season, with authorities on heightened alert amid extreme temperatures and strong winds.
Longinos said prolonged heat, low humidity and winds capable of rapidly spreading even small fires had created an exceptionally high fire risk.
Emergency response
Authorities have deployed resources across the island to ensure that any outbreaks can be tackled at an early stage, Longinos told the Cyprus News Agency.
However, he said no country could guarantee it would contain every major wildfire, noting that Canada, Spain and France had also struggled to control fires despite having greater resources.
Continuing risk
Longinos said the elevated risk would continue beyond Thursday until weather conditions change, particularly when rainfall arrives.
Fire services will remain on standby in the coming days with the aim of extinguishing fires in their initial stages, he said.
Preparedness measures
Reflecting on the response to last summer’s deadly Limassol wildfire, Longinos said authorities had strengthened preparedness by addressing weaknesses identified after the fire.
He said improvements and actions had been taken, while acknowledging that there remained scope for further progress.
