Filenews 22 March 2025 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
We are going through the worst year in terms of victims as a result of fires this year, while this summer is predicted to be ominous, due to drought and high temperatures.
So far this year we have counted nine deaths from house fires, with the Fire Service stressing that it did not have time to do anything because it was too late by the time it arrived. However, last year it rescued 35 people from fires, while in total in 2024 it rescued from various traps (traffic police, elevators, wells, etc.) 1,972 people, while 57 people lost their lives in various incidents for which it responded (not only fires).
These figures were given yesterday during a press conference cited by the Fire Department, sounding the alarm for this year's firefighting season. In fact, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, in his address, spoke about the worst situation that has been created for causing fires and for a cocktail of factors so that we have a very bad situation this year. For this reason, as he said, the Ministry is determined to support the difficult work of the fire brigades, which is why it is promoting two important projects: the creation of a heliport in the Linous area and the installation of 15 sensors in 12 industrial zones for fire or smoke detection.
Mr. Longinos also referred to the changes that are being made after the autonomy of the Service that bring it into a new modern era, to face new challenges with tall buildings, towers, electric vehicles with lithium batteries that do not easily extinguish if they catch fire, the construction of buildings with more flammable materials and extreme weather phenomena.
Regarding fires, Mr. Longinos said that last year there was an increase in urban fires and a decrease in rural fires. In total, last year, the Service responded to 6,717 fires throughout Cyprus which left behind four dead, 1,647 sq.km of burnt land and damages of €29,580,390. The most shocking thing, however, is that the main cause of fires is in more than 90% of cases, the human factor. According to the Service's data, 20% of fires in urban areas are due to candle lighting, faulty fireplaces, heaters, cooking utensils and malicious actions.
During the year 2024, the Fire Service had responded to a total of 12,770 calls for assistance, which concerned calls for fires, special services and false calls.
Of the total 6717 fires that the Service responded to last year, 3280 were rural fires and 3437 were urban fires. There is an increase compared to 2023, in the total number of fires (urban – rural), of 1.02%. Specifically, urban fires show an increase of 6.71% since from 3,221 in 2023 we had 3,437 in '24. For the countryside, a decrease of 4.32% was recorded, since from 3428 in '23 they decreased to 3,280 in '24.
It is noteworthy that last year's rural fires recorded a tremendous increase of 29.35% in May, due to lightning.
Also, last year an increase in fires was recorded for the months of February by 12.96% and March by 13.49%, mainly due to the drought that existed during the winter season (from the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024).
€29.5 million 2024 losses
Last year, property and land were burned to ashes, the value of which amounts to €29,580,390.
The burned area of the countryside, which is presented for 2024 (1647 sq.km) decreased by 4.79 sq.km compared to 2023 (21.26 sq.km), which is due to the decrease in the total number of rural fires compared to the previous year.
The economic aspect of losses is increased for 2024. As Mr. Longinos explained, the fires at the desalination plant in Paphos and a factory in Latsia, skyrocketed the damages to €29.580.390, of which €26.702.420 concerned urban fires and €2,877,970 concerned rural fires.
Correspondingly, in 2023 there was a total amount of losses of €9,525,145, of which the amount of €8,444,580 concerned urban fires and the amount of €1,080.565 concerned rural fires.
Malicious fires in Limassol and Paphos
Regarding the number of fires during the summer months, this is mainly due to the bad habit of farmers to burn fields after harvesting, as well as due to deliberate burning, which takes place outside the legal period and without a permit. Nevertheless, there is a decrease in rural fires during the firefighting season and this is due to the prevention campaigns of the Fire Service, with the public being informed by both television and radio participations of the Press and Public Relations Office of the Fire Service.
In addition, the role of the patrols of the Fire Service, the Forestry Department, the Police and the Game Service, as well as other organized groups, was also catalytic.
In urban fires, an increase of 6.71% is observed. The number of fires that occurred in urban areas in 2024 is 3,437, compared to 3,221 that occurred in the year 2023. The main areas of urban fires were plots (981), motor vehicles (312), private residences (267), school yards (220), apartment buildings, garbage cans, other premises and other spaces.
As for the causes of rural fires, these are due to burning, deliberate burning, burning of garbage, discarding cigarette butts, use of tools that cause sparkles in the countryside, cooking in unapproved areas or other human activities in the countryside that are likely to cause fires. In addition, it was observed on the basis of some arrests, which were made by the Police following testimonies, as well as on the basis of the conditions of the place and the time of the fires, that a number of them were malicious, especially in the districts of Limassol and Paphos.
It is noted for another year that:
a) A large percentage of 78.74% of the total number of rural fires for the year 2024, (2,583 out of 3,280), is due to lighting a fire without a permit, which is included in the category of "malicious act".
(b) The contribution of the human factor to the cause of fires in the countryside exceeds 90%.
