THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF PARLIAMENT ON THE DEADLY FIRE IN LIMASSOL - CRITICISM OF PANAGIOTOU, THE POLICE AND THE CO-ORDINATOR - MISHANDLING, OPERATIONAL FAILURES, LACK OF CO-ORDINATION AND CONTRADICTIONS

 

THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF PARLIAMENT ON THE DEADLY FIRE IN LIMASSOL - CRITICISM OF PANAGIOTOU, THE POLICE AND THE CO-ORDINATOR - MISHANDLING, OPERATIONAL FAILURES, LACK OF CO-ORDINATION AND CONTRADICTIONS - Filenews 1/4

A revealing picture of the magnitude of the disaster and the serious weaknesses in the state mechanism during the fires of July 23, 2025 in mountainous Limassol and Paphos, is presented by the multi-page report of the competent Parliamentary Committees on Interior, Agriculture and Environment.

In 46 pages and 11,097 words, parliamentary control focuses on attributing responsibility and restructuring fire protection systems, for the report of the fires that records two dead, dozens of destroyed properties and 1.3% of the island's area burned.

The report of the Parliamentary Committees that will be submitted tomorrow to the Plenary Session of the Parliament indicates the mishandling of the Ministries, serious operational failures, institutional gaps and political issues related to their responsibilities.

Overall, the report paints a picture where the government's public assurances about the level of preparedness were not in line with the reality in the field of operations.

• The Minister of Agriculture, systematically avoiding answering the merits of the questions of the members of the committees and other MPs present, tried to shift the responsibility of coordination to the Chief Fire Marshal of the Cyprus Fire Service.

• At the same time, significant contradictions were found between public statements by ministers and officials during the first days after the catastrophic fires and their respective positions before the committees and/or the refusal of some of them to answer questions from MPs which were repeatedly asked.

• One of the most critical questions raised concerned the absence abroad of the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Agriculture at the time of the crisis. Although he had been designated as the person responsible for the immediate activation of the prevention and extinguishing mechanisms, he was in Australia representing the government. The official side argued that his role was supervisory and not operational, however his absence caused strong reactions.

• The former Minister of Justice admitted that, despite the activation of the special plans "Icarus II" and "Torch", there were weaknesses and failures in their implementation that need to be corrected.

• Serious responsibilities arise for the non-operation of the Early Warning System via mobile phones. Tenders for the project had been cancelled in May 2024 due to appeals, leaving citizens without a modern means of alerting at the time of the fire.

• Critical deficiencies were found in the evacuation plan, as it did not provide for mandatory information to the Civil Defense for camps, individual houses and livestock properties.

The fire in Malia burned over 120 square kilometers of land. According to the Minister of Agriculture, 96.11% of the burned area was private land. 14,250 tens of agricultural land were destroyed, highlighting the chronic weaknesses and abandonment of the primary sector. The fire in Paphos started from a garbage dump, which brings back the responsibilities for the illegal dumping of waste.

The Committees unanimously reached the following remarks/findings/conclusions:

1. The Parliamentary Committee on the Interior, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment point out that the issue of fire management is an issue of paramount importance for the country, with serious consequences for the environment, society and the economy. Therefore, effective fire prevention, preparedness and suppression becomes an imperative and urgent priority.
2. However, during the discussion, serious weaknesses and deficiencies in the existing fire management mechanism were highlighted.
3. At the same time, significant contradictions were found between public statements by ministers and officials of the state services made during the first days after the catastrophic fires and their respective positions before the committees and/or the refusal of some of them to answer questions of MPs which were repeatedly asked.
   In particular, the first reaction time to the fires in question was fifteen minutes instead of six minutes as stated by the authorities in the first days after the outbreak of the fires and in particular with the use of elementary firefighting means from a neighbouring community, which did not allow the most timely and therefore more effective treatment of the problem.
   Based on the evidence submitted by the Cyprus Fire Service, the call for a grass fire on the Malias to Arsos road was received via private phone at 13:28. According to the Chief of the National Guard, the order to activate the aircraft was given at 13:49 and at 14:18 the first aerial drop took place with the available aircraft, i.e. fifty minutes after the fire was detected.
4. The Cyprus Police, based on a relevant answer of the former Minister of Justice and Public Order to a question by the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Interior, was responsible for blocking roads, but the Chief of Police avoided giving an explanation as to why the road on which two citizens lost their lives was not closed in the end, referring to an internal investigation by the Cyprus Police.
5. The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, systematically avoiding answering the questions of the members of the committees and other MPs present, tried to shift the responsibility of coordination to the Chief Fire Marshal of the Cyprus Fire Service.
6. In addition, the same official refused to justify the absence at the essential time at an event for black anniversaries in Australia of the director general of the General Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and responsible coordinator for fire issues, even though she is the political head of that ministry.
7. Furthermore, the official in question, despite the repeated efforts of the Commissioner for the Environment, never held a meeting with her regarding the whole issue, for reasons that were not explained, but referred her to officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
8. The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, based on what was said before the committees, did not respond adequately to her duties in general and, in addition, despite her presence during the debate, did not facilitate the work of the committees and the exercise of proper parliamentary control. Besides, the general director of the above mentioned ministry, who was appointed as the responsible coordinator, took a similar stance.
9. Furthermore, difficulties were found in communication and coordination with the Civil Defence, resulting in delays in providing guidance to communities and uncoordinated or fragmented evacuation procedures. In particular, the Commander of Civil Defence did not provide sufficient explanations for the serious deficits that occurred in some cases of communities during the evacuation of fire-affected areas.
10. The lack of clear operational guidance has led to cases where presidents of community councils have been forced to act autonomously to evacuate areas, which has highlighted the need to strengthen crisis response mechanisms at local level and the need for an institutionalised central administration mechanism for crisis management. As some of the affected community leaders stated, if they followed the recommendations given to them out of the blue, they would lead the residents to the affected areas.
11. In this regard, the Minister of the Interior stated that during the period between January and May of the year 2025, the relevant trainings of the community leaders took place. However, it acknowledged that, based on what had been said in the context of committee meetings and due parliamentary scrutiny, there were weaknesses on the issue of procedures for evacuating areas in case of emergency.
12. At the same time, incidents of exceptional dedication and self-denial were recorded on the part of members of the Civil Defence, the Cyprus Fire Service, the Department of Forests, the Cyprus Police, the National Guard and the volunteers, whose contribution in the field was decisive. However, it was noted that the action of these bodies was not supported by an institutionalised and well-defined centralised coordination mechanism.
13. The committees note the need to clarify the responsibilities of the bodies involved, for the purposes of effective planning and coordination, as well as immediate intervention.
14. Furthermore, the committees consider it necessary to modernize communication systems and strengthen the Civil Defense with adequate and properly trained personnel, in order to ensure the timely and uninterrupted information and guidance of local authorities in cases of emergency.
15. At the same time, they point to the need to clearly define the responsibilities of clusters of community services when there are reasons of emergency.
16. In this regard, they consider it necessary to draw up integrated strategic planning for the prevention and suppression of fires, taking into account the effects of rural abandonment and climate change. In this regard, they point out that such planning must include prevention, preparedness, operational response and recovery measures and ensure a rapid and effective response at local level. At the same time, they also consider it necessary to regularly inform communities about their involvement, to conduct annual preparedness exercises, especially in high-risk areas, as well as to systematically carry out relevant on-site inspections and to extend the opening hours of rural fire stations on a round-the-clock basis.
17. Furthermore, they note the need to formulate an integrated strategy to deal with the environmental crisis in general, which intensifies the risk of fires.
18. In addition, they consider it necessary to inform and mobilize citizens about the risks of fire, to develop environmental awareness, to utilize volunteers and to systematically implement preventive cleaning and fire protection projects, including the creation of fire zones, but also the systematic cleaning and maintenance of dams, which are critical infrastructures.
19. At the same time, they underline the need to ensure the adequacy of water resources for firefighting vehicles, through the construction of water storage tanks in areas where there is a lack of relevant infrastructure. At the same time, they consider it imperative to install backup energy systems in water pumps, in order to ensure their uninterrupted operation even in cases of power outages.
20. The committees further consider it appropriate to install modern fire detection and monitoring systems, to map houses for evacuation purposes, as well as to upgrade operational plans, with the aim of early warning, intervention and effective response.
21. Besides, despite the public positions on the part of the executive power regarding the operational readiness of the state, data and documents were submitted to the committees about serious shortages of equipment, firefighting equipment and personnel.
22. In addition, the committees consider it necessary both to establish a legislative framework for the operation of camps and other activities, providing for clear evacuation procedures in the event of danger, on the basis of the national plan in force in this area, and to inform residents about the evacuation plans in their areas, so that they know in advance the appropriate procedures.
23. At the same time, they find that during the evacuation process of the camp in Lofou, deficiencies in coordination and delays in decision-making were identified, which highlighted weaknesses in the implementation of the "Polyvios" plan. In this regard, they underline the need to revise the plan in question, with a clear definition of the responsibilities and roles of those involved, as well as the provision of special procedures for the safe movement of minors and vulnerable groups.
24. In addition to the above, the committees underline the importance of monitoring and evaluating the existing prevention and preparedness measures, as well as the recommendations that have been implemented, with the aim of continuously improving fire management plans.
25. Equally important are also the adoption of measures to restore damage and nature, with a clear timetable for implementation, as well as the promotion of rural development actions, which can act as a preventive and deterrent against future fire risks.
26. In addition, the committees note that further clarification of the procedures for compensating those affected is needed, especially in cases where there is private insurance coverage. In particular, they consider it necessary to clarify whether and to what extent the government will cover the difference between the amounts paid by the insurance companies and the actual value of the losses, as estimated by ETEK.
27. In this regard, it should be noted that, despite the correct announcements regarding compensation, serious pending issues are still recorded in relation to certain categories of victims in the fire-affected areas.
28. Furthermore, the committees monitor the issue of how to deal with cases of unlicensed housing, pointing out the need for fair and socially sensitive regulation, without exclusions.
29. The committees also note the need to fully record the damage suffered by cultural heritage monuments in the fire-affected areas and to formulate a restoration plan.
30. In addition, the committees point out that the Cyprus Fire Service is facing shortages in human resources and logistical infrastructure, which affects the effectiveness of the operational response. In this regard, they consider that it is imperative to strengthen the staff, renew the fire truck fleet and continue to train staff in new fire-fighting technologies.
31. Furthermore, the committees emphasize the need to define a clear protocol of communication and cooperation of all involved civil protection bodies.
32. In this regard, they point out the need for the timely activation of the Ambulance Directorate, so that its involvement becomes immediate at critical times. In this context, they consider it necessary to strengthen it with the necessary staff and appropriate equipment to ensure an effective response to circumstances of mass incidents or natural disasters.
33. In addition to the above, they note that it is necessary for the Commissioner for Environment and Animal Welfare to be more actively involved, as well as the establishment of a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating environmental restoration, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
34. In that regard, the committees note that the adoption of anti-erosion measures in fire-affected areas is considered urgent in order to prevent flooding and further soil degradation. Therefore, they also consider it necessary to develop and implement specific action schedules, taking into account the warnings of the Meteorological Service about imminent weather phenomena.
35. In addition, they point out that a comprehensive flood prevention and response policy is required, with an emphasis on the adoption of best practices and the training of those responsible for the immediate adoption of anti-erosion measures on the basis of international standards, as well as the corresponding Greek standard of the Hellenic Organization for Standardization, taking into account in particular potential risks in fire-affected areas. In this context, they also consider it important to assess the effectiveness of restoration actions in areas affected by fires in the recent past, in order to draw evidence-based conclusions about the natural environment and ecosystems.
36. At the same time, the committees note the need to speed up compliance with EU legislation on the operation of the Paphos landfill, systematic control to prevent uncontrolled waste dumping, evaluation of the management of the biogas produced, as well as the determination of a plan for the relocation of the public road passing through the area, for reasons of safety and environmental protection. In addition, they point out the urgency of cleaning up the hundreds of illegal landfills in the countryside, which are a constant source of danger and, as has been proven in the recent past, are a source of fires.
37. The committees also note that the reactivation of the primary sector in the affected areas is a key condition for the sustainable recovery of the countryside and therefore point out that support for farmers is required, with incentives for reactivation and measures to restore productive activity.
38. Furthermore, they note that, despite the significant contribution of the volunteers, there were shortcomings in the coordination and organization of their participation during the evacuation and firefighting procedures. They therefore consider it necessary to establish an official register of civil protection volunteers and to establish a single protocol for their mobilisation under the supervision of the competent authorities, while ensuring that the required training and adequate funding are provided for the procurement and/or maintenance of the necessary equipment.
39. In addition to the above, reserving the content and recommendations of the study by the French organization Expertise France on the restructuring of civil protection, they emphasize that a single and institutionalized civil protection mechanism is required, with a clear distribution of responsibilities, effective and interoperable communication systems and adequate training of personnel.
40. Finally, the committees consider it appropriate to evaluate the role and functioning of the Forestry College, as well as to review the proposed fragmentation of the Department of Forests, in light of the need for operational readiness and effective crisis management.
    In light of the above, the committees, with the aim of effectively managing fires and dealing with the problems that arise in this area, declare their willingness to assist in the whole effort made in the context of the continuous exercise of parliamentary control, whenever this is deemed appropriate, but also with all the means available to the Parliament as a legislative body.