Filenews 19 July 2024
The close cooperation of the fire brigades of the Republic and the British Bases (BB) was praised by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, and the Commander of BB, Peter Squires, on the occasion of the joint response to the increased fires on the island.
The Bases Fire Brigade has already been called upon to contribute to 13 large fires, a number higher than the seasonal average, and has worked closely with the land and air fire brigades of the Republic of Cyprus.
"Following the dry winter and record temperatures that have already exceeded 40 degrees Celsius since June, the Bases are strengthening the seamless cooperation between all firefighting capabilities in Cyprus," it added.
Since the first major call about the forest fire between the villages of Vasa and Asgata, on April 25, the helicopter crew of the 84th Squadron of RAF Akrotiri and the BB Fire Brigade have been working together with the firefighters of the Republic almost every week.
According to the announcement, the Minister of Agriculture stressed the crucial cooperation between the Fire Services of the RoC and the BBs and underlined the solidarity of neighbouring countries in dealing with fires on the island.
"The safety and well-being of people are among the priorities of our efforts during such difficult forest fires", noting that "the contribution of British air assets is highly appreciated and our cooperation is excellent".
"It is vital for us to work together, combining our knowledge, resources and strategies to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated effort."
BB Commander Major General Squires said that by working together, "we are stronger, more resilient and can more effectively combat the devastating effects of wildfires that can affect our ecosystems, economies and communities."
He said that "we have recently witnessed the advantages of such cooperation and we are committed to utilizing our collective know-how."
According to the officer of the Fire Brigade of BB Episkopi, Aristos Aristidou, this season the largest fire so far occurred in Paphos, between the communities of Psathi and Polemi and 12 aerial means were called to extinguish it, including two helicopters from the 84th Squadron of the BB, along with a large number of land assets of the RoC.
Among other things, Mr. Aristidou pointed out that almost 90% of fires are caused by human activities and called on the public to be particularly careful, given the low rainfall in winter and the record temperatures recorded.
He urged people to avoid activities such as lighting campfires and throwing fireworks, as small sparks can quickly ignite dry vegetation in these conditions.
He also urged the public not to throw cigarette butts on the ground or outside vehicle windows.
In addition, he urged the public to clean the perimeter of their premises from dry leaves, prune trees and shrubs and remove any other flammable materials.
CNA
