Filenews 24 November 2025 - by Angelos Nikolaou
In an unusual picture for the time, three fires that broke out on Sunday (23/11) in various areas of Cyprus (Kathikas – Akoursou,, Koili – Stroumbi) required the assistance of flying means for the first time so late in the season. This paradox, just a week before the official start of the winter season, captures the unusual weather conditions that prevail, leaving the country exposed to unpredictable situations.
Although in the summer season of 2025 the Republic of Cyprus had a total of 14 primary firefighting aircraft for the first time in its history, all of them had already been released by mid-November, as provided for in the operational protocol after the end of the fire season.
Therefore, on Sunday, the Republic had at its disposal only three privately owned Air Tractor 802 planes, one of which was out of operational readiness due to failure. In the first phase of operations, the two available ones were activated, but then one of them was taken out due to failure, as a result of which only one plane continued to drop water.
Given the limited number of primary means, the assistance of secondary aircraft was requested. An AW139 helicopter of the National Guard, and a Bell 412 helicopter of the MAEP of the Police participated in the operation.
In total, up to three means operated during the day, depending on the needs of each outbreak and operational availability.
An important difference compared to previous years was the absence of a helicopter of the British Bases, as the Bases have already informed that their stable assistance to the Republic in the context of the previous interstate cooperation is coming to an end. Therefore, the Chinook-type helicopter, with a carrying capacity of up to 5 tons of water, was not available as an option.
The increased risk of new fires, due to prolonged high temperatures and drought, led the competent authorities to the decision to immediately return the two Jordanian Air Tractor 802 planes.
The fact that on November 23 it was necessary to use aerial means for three different fires is now of great concern to the Authorities of the Republic, since it seems that fire protection can no longer be limited to the warm months. Therefore, the country may need to revise the duration and philosophy of the fire season, as well as the protocols for the availability of aircraft.
