Cyprus authorities flagged significant weaknesses in rural wildfire preparedness during a parliamentary briefing ahead of the summer season. Fire chief Nikos Longinos said current station coverage leaves key areas exposed.
He said a study proposes 24/7 staffing of the 14 existing rural stations and the creation of 14 more, with the goal of reducing response times in remote communities.
Lawmakers also focused on data showing that roughly 1,500 of about 3,500 countryside fires break out after 19:00, when several stations are no longer operational. Another concern raised was that a large share of industrial sites still fail to meet fire-safety requirements.
On evacuation planning, Longinos said coordination gaps remain. Interior Ministry representatives pointed to ongoing revisions of the “Polyvios” plan and the distribution of radios to community leaders pending pilot rollout of an early-warning system.
For aerial firefighting assets, officials said none are currently available, with reinforcements expected in stages from April into May. Services described the coming weeks as critical for closing operational gaps before fire risk peaks.
