The fire coordination chief called for additional firefighters to be stationed at five rural stations, such as Pachna and Lefkara, to ensure 24-hour staffing and reduce response times. "Today there are stations that close at 7.00 in the evening," he said. The building of the European Aerial Firefighting Hub in Paphos has been placed under the National Guard in an initial stage.
The degree of readiness of the fire prevention and response mechanism came under scrutiny today at the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Affairs. The session, the first in the new composition of the Committee, took place a few hours after the fire in the Trozena area of Limassol on Wednesday evening, which revived memories of last year's major fire in the Limassol mountains, as residents reported negligence and delays by firefighting forces.
According to information from "P", the first fire engine to respond came from Moniatitis, because the much closer Pachna station had closed at 7.00 in the evening. At the session, the national fire coordinator and chief fire officer, Nikos Longinos, said he had asked the Ministry of Justice to station additional firefighters at five rural stations, such as Pachna and Lefkara, to ensure 24-hour staffing and reduce response times. "Today there are stations that close at 7.00 in the evening," he said.
Wounds of the past
"I have no intention of opening old wounds, when we had assurances from those present at the Committee about a satisfactory level of readiness and then witnessed the tragic outcomes of fires," said the committee chairman and AKEL MP, Aristos Damianou, in his opening remarks.
He recalled that during the previous Parliament, following the deadly Limassol fire, a special committee report was produced. "Today is a new page -- let us see how we move forward," he added.
"We made improvements"
"We learned many lessons from the major fire in the Limassol mountains and made improvements," said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Elikkos Ilia. He noted that the Ministry of Interior and the District Administrations are assisting communities with vegetation management -- which this year is even denser due to this year's rainfall -- and that cooperation between services of different ministries has improved. Most importantly, he stressed, the CY ALERT early warning system was activated in early June.
He also referred to the government's intention to establish a Civil Protection Directorate within the Ministry of Interior, noting that the Ministry has submitted the relevant bill to the Committee on Internal Affairs and has requested that it be given priority.
€3 million to communities for vegetation clearance
National fire coordinator and chief fire officer Nikos Longinos said the situation is not easy. "In this short period of time we have tried to address the weaknesses of previous years, but there is always room for improvement," he added.
He said the Ministry of Interior has allocated €3 million to communities for vegetation clearance, while the Fire Service has formed teams that have, since March, identified clearance sites for communities. "We trained 400 members of volunteer groups, whose contribution is outstanding and who have genuinely embedded themselves in firefighting work. A major firefighting exercise took place on 19 May under the responsibility of the Forestry Department. The PYRSOS and POLYVIOS plans have been updated," he said.
He also requested that chain saws for firebreaks and road-opening equipment for fire engine access be kept pre-loaded on trucks for immediate deployment when needed. He noted that grants have been provided to 54 communities to purchase fire engines. Volunteer training is ongoing, and next year they will be provided with uniforms. He further called for additional firefighters to be posted at five rural stations, including Pachna and Lefkara, for 24-hour coverage and faster response times. "Today there are stations that close at 7.00 in the evening," he said.
European Aerial Firefighting Hub in Paphos placed under National Guard in initial stage
Responding to questions from MPs, Longinos informed the Committee that, following a Council of Ministers decision, the completed building of the European Aerial Firefighting Hub in Paphos has been transferred to the National Guard to operate it, until it is taken over by Civil Protection and staffed with instructors.
He noted that 13 aircraft are currently available, describing this number as satisfactory.
Drone unit staffed up
According to the Director of the Forestry Department, Savvas Iezekiel, forest roads have been maintained and the drone unit has been staffed, organised in cooperation with the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Institute. He noted that while in previous years their flights totalled 200 hours per year, last year they covered 1,000 flight hours.
He highlighted the issue of insulating the EAC's power lines, from which forest fires have broken out in the past, and said that in cooperation with EAC, replacements are being gradually carried out at the most hazardous points.
Regarding the Akamas park wardens, recently recruited, he said they will participate in firefighting should the peninsula be threatened by fire, as they are trained to the same standards as Forestry Department officers.
On aerial resources, he noted that they have access to seawater, primarily because Cyprus is an island, and assured the Committee that solutions exist for the island's interior. On the use of dams, he said the Forestry Department is coordinating with the Water Development Department.
Controlled burning and controlled grazing to manage rural biomass
On controlled burning, Iezekiel said the Department implemented it for the first time this year. The Department has also used the backfire method for years to halt the advance of fires when other means fail. He simultaneously stressed the need to revive agricultural cultivation, which serves as an intermediate shield between fires and forests.
He said they are cooperating with the Agriculture Department on controlled grazing through three pilot programmes, two of which are in the Kato Pyrgos and Solea areas. However, he noted, foot-and-mouth disease has created difficulties this year for animals grazing outdoors.
