Filenews 4 August 2025
The Department of Forestry is proposing a restructuring of the fire management system in the countryside, according to the assessment report on the fire of July 23 in Malia delivered to the President of the Republic.
According to the report, the existing non-forest system suffers from a fragmentation of responsibilities, a lack of uniform coordination and institutional weaknesses that are repeated over time.
According to the report, despite the extremely adverse conditions, the RD has reportedly responded effectively to its missions, but notes that the need for restructuring in the management system of deforested areas is now imperative.
The report states that the fire broke out in an area outside the area of responsibility of the Department of Forests (TD) and points out as the main problem the dysfunction and fragmented responsibility of the existing mechanism for dealing with fires in the countryside. It is, as reported, a timeless void that had also emerged with the Arakapas fire in 2021.
The fire spread rapidly — about 8 to 10 square kilometers per hour in the first ten hours. The operational coordination was undertaken by the Chief Fire Chief, with the activation of the "TORSO" and "ICAROS II" plans, while there was constant communication with the Directorate, which took over the critical northeast wing for the protection of the communities and the prevention of expansion in Troodos, it is noted, among other things.
