in-cyprus 1 August 2025 -by Michalis Hadjivasilis
Government agencies have submitted incident reports on the deadly mountain wildfire in Limassol that acknowledge gaps and weaknesses but record no errors or omissions in their emergency response, according to information obtained by Fileleftheros.
The reports, submitted yesterday to relevant ministers for presentation to President Christodoulides today, document minute-by-minute actions taken before and during the fire. All involved services provide documented evidence of their activities and conclude with recommendations to address identified shortcomings.
However, no report records mistakes or omissions observed during firefighting operations, public notifications or evacuations, sources indicated. All state services acknowledge coordination gaps, deficiencies in citizen alert systems and communication failures with community leaders that hindered evacuation procedures.
The police and fire service submitted reports to the justice minister, civil defence reported to the interior minister, and the forestry department reported to the agriculture minister. The four state departments are expected to substantiate their documented actions with evidence before presenting observations on operational failures and identified gaps.
Coordination problems were widely acknowledged during the massive wildfire response, including delays in notifying affected residents and evacuating villages threatened by flames. Roads surrounded by fire remained open whilst ordinary citizens and volunteers often assumed evacuation responsibilities in many cases.
Despite adequate water supplies for fire service tankers, ground resources deployed proved insufficient for a fire of such magnitude. Aviation assets could have been positioned in the area for patrols given specific weather conditions. The fire spread so rapidly that no resources could contain it, burning uncontrolled for two days and nights.
Proposed recommendations include establishing a civil protection body encompassing civil defence, volunteers and other organised groups to improve crisis response capabilities and coordinate emergency operations.
The four service reports will be forwarded this morning by relevant ministers to the presidential palace, likely to the deputy minister to the president, before presentation to President Christodoulides. The president has announced the reports will be made public for transparency, allowing citizens to understand state and coordinated service responses during the emergency.
The timing of public release remains unclear, whether immediate or following presidential review. It is also unknown if reports will be released before Tuesday’s joint session of three parliamentary committees examining issues arising from the deadly wildfire. Four ministers, director-generals, officials and 20 community leaders from affected areas have been summoned to discuss six agenda items.
Political parties, organisations and affected residents blame the government for failing to address the fire promptly. The blaze caused extensive damage and claimed two civilian lives as victims attempted to escape the fire.
