Filenews 9 August 2022 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The result of deliberate arson is the majority of forest fires in Cyprus and as shown through the statistical reports of the Department of Forests year after year there is an increase in the number of deliberate fires, and a corresponding decrease in the number of negligent fires. According to statistics, nine out of ten forest fires are caused by human activities. For the first seven months of 2022, intentional fires constituted 69%, in 2021 59%, for the period 2012 – 2021 48%, and for the period 2000 – 2021 34%. For 2022, 58% of forest fires cause are known and 42% unknown. Of these, 87% of fires are due to anthropogenic factors and 13% to lightning. Fires by negligence we had from military activities, short circuit of power lines and hunting activities.
According to the official statistics of the Department of Forests for forest fires in the period 2000-2021, the causes of almost 88% (1,167) of forest fires are known, while for only 12% (160) of forest fires the causes remain unknown. In particular, the causes of forest fires are divided into two main categories. Natural fires (from natural causes and mainly lightning) amount to about 15% (180), while anthropogenic fires (from human activities) amount to about 85% (987).
The two main subcategories of anthropogenic fires are distinguished by motivation. Intentional (expediency) amount to about 34% (337) and unintentional (by negligence) amount to about 66% (650) of anthropogenic fires.
As regards involuntary fires, the following is highlighted for the period 2000-2021:
• 37% (238) are caused by agricultural activities, the most important being the scorching/burning of greens, prunings and apocalypses.
• 25% are caused by travellers (18%-114) and excursionists (7%-48), in the context of various forest recreation activities, the most important being the throwing of matches and cigarette butts, as well as the lighting of fires in non-defined areas.
• 12% (77) are caused by activities in adjacent dwellings, the most important being the use of spark-generating tools, insufficient storage of flammable materials, misuse of generators and motorized water pumps, lighting a fire without human supervision and throwing away lit coals.
• 9% (59) are caused by military activities, the most important being military exercises with live fire on firing ranges.
• 5% (35) is caused by failure of the power grid and short circuits of power lines.
• 5% (32) is caused by illegal burning of garbage, including uncontrolled waste disposal sites (HADA) in agricultural and livestock areas.
• 3% (17) are caused by hunting activities, the most important being the uncontrolled lighting of fires in undefined places.
• 1% (10) is caused by other works and / or activities in forest and coastal areas (e.g. opening of roads and accesses, use of fireworks, etc.).
• 1% (9) are caused by motor vehicle racing (rallies). Although quantitatively they are the least significant cause of forest fires during the period 2000-2021, before the prohibition of motor vehicle racing in areas of high forests, rallies were a very serious cause of large, uncontrolled and destructive forest fires, mainly in areas of the Main State Forest of Paphos and the Troodos National Forest Park.
Fires increased, burned area reduced
According to the statistics, during the first seven months of 2022 (January – July), 129 forest fires occurred nationwide and a total area of 280 hectares was burned. As can be seen from the statistical reports of the corresponding period of 2021, the fires were 186 and the total area burned 5,901 hectares (including the large fire in the area of Arakapas).
In the area of responsibility of the Department of Forests, 95 forest fires occurred and an area of 42 hectares was burned, of which 0.2 hectares was state forest.
Attempting a comparison of the data of forest fires in the zone of responsibility of the Department of Forests for the year 2022, with the corresponding data of previous periods, the following conclusions are drawn:
1) Compared to the averages of the last decade 2020-2021, an increase of 46% in the number of forest fires and an 89% decrease in the burned area is recorded.
2) In relation to the averages of the period 2012-2021, an increase of 8% in the number of forest fires and a decrease of 91% in the burned area is recorded.
Land use conflict leads to fires
The problem of forest fires is getting worse due to: a) The abandonment of the countryside which gradually leads to the large accumulation of fuel. The former agricultural lands that were irrigated and ploughed and acted as firebreaks, today are transformed into areas with flammable wild vegetation, b) the increase in the exodus of city dwellers for recreation to the forests, c) the "disorderly" spread of individual dwellings in the countryside and the fact that almost every corner of the forests and countryside is accessible, d) climate change, which according to scientific studies that have been done, it is predicted that in the geographical area of Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean region the fires will increase both in number and in severity.
Furthermore, there is a conflict of land use as the structural cause of several malicious fires, which mainly concerns agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting and land development.
K. Kadis: The legislation changes with the imposition of immediate and dissuasive penalties
The government is proceeding with the tightening of the legal framework by imposing higher and more direct penalties. The drafting of the legislation is at the final stage and is expected to be brought before the House shortly. Speaking to "F", The Minister of Agriculture Kostas Kadis appeared troubled by the fact that the vast majority of fires are due to the human factor. "This shows that we still have a lot of work ahead of us, in informing and raising awareness among our fellow citizens so that they either intentionally or unwittingly do not become the cause of fires," he said. Last year, he noted, a lot of work was done at the level of the legislative framework and in particular in relation to the imposition of immediate and dissuasive penalties in cases of fire caused by a human factor. Soon, he said, the relevant legislation will reach the House for approval. "On the positive side of the assessment and the comparative data we have before us, is the fact that despite the fact that despite the fact that we had a relatively increased number of fires, the burned area was incomparably smaller than in previous years", explained Mr. Kadis. This demonstrates, he added, the immediate and effective intervention of the firefighting forces and is the result of the strengthening of the Department of Forests, both in terms of human resources and infrastructure.
INTERVENTION
Numbers tell the truth
The statistics of the Department of Forests on the causes of forest fires draw important conclusions, which if we ignore them and do not take them into account, the problem will not be addressed. The fact that more than 85% of fires are due to human activities demonstrates the huge responsibility of both the government and each individual citizen to minimize the potential risk of causing forest fires. Of greater concern is the great ease with which some deliberately set fires in the forests, ignoring the enormous consequences and destruction that they leave behind. Indicative is also the increase observed year after year in deliberate fires. Let us hope that by changing the legislative framework, those who commit crimes in this way will also pay the appropriate fine.
