Authorities at the Ministry of the Interior are reviewing preparations for the upcoming wildfire season, with particular concern over delays in updating evacuation plans in Nicosia and Paphos. The issue emerged during a meeting on Tuesday that assessed progress following the deadly Limassol wildfire last July.
Review of preparedness after Limassol wildfire
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou received an update from ministry services on the progress of preparations based on directives issued after serious gaps were identified during last year’s disaster.
Key issues for the ministry include the revision of the “Polyvios” evacuation plan for communities across the island, the implementation of an early warning system and the clearing of dry vegetation. These matters drew strong criticism during three major parliamentary sessions following the wildfire in Limassol.
The level of preparedness by the ministry’s services in the coming months is expected to serve as a test ahead of the planned transformation of the ministry into the “Ministry of the Interior and Civil Protection”. Once the relevant legislation is approved by Parliament, critical crisis management services such as the Fire Service, Civil Defence and the Department of Forests will fall under its umbrella.
Nicosia and Paphos lag behind
Following serious shortcomings experienced during evacuations in the Limassol wine villages, residents in communities such as Lofou and Malia publicly complained about the situation.
In response, Civil Defence undertook a revision of the “Polyvios” evacuation plan in recent months. Officials conducted site visits and inspections to coordinate with community leaders, assess escape routes and designate or review assembly points in each community.
Delays in this process led Acting General Coordinator for Fires and Fire Service Chief Fire Officer Nikos Logginos to raise the issue during the first general coordination meeting ahead of the wildfire season.
By 17 March, the districts of Nicosia and Paphos had not exceeded 50% completion of the evacuation plan revision for their communities, while the other three districts had reached around 80%.
Civil Defence mobilises additional staff
According to information from the Ministry of the Interior, Civil Defence informed Tuesday’s meeting that the revision process has been completed for Limassol, Larnaca and the Famagusta district.
However, Nicosia currently stands at 60% completion and Paphos remains in a more difficult position at 45%.
Authorities aim to complete the revision of the “Polyvios” plan for all districts by the end of April. To support the effort, Civil Defence personnel from Limassol and Larnaca have already been redeployed to Nicosia and Paphos, where the process remains incomplete.
Uncertainty over early warning system
The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, which oversees the implementation of the Early Warning System together with Civil Defence, said the goal is for the system to be available to the public in the first week of June.
When asked about statements made in Parliament on 18 March indicating that the system would initially operate in a “pilot phase”, the deputy ministry responded that it is expected to be fully operational.
However, a well-informed source told Politis that according to the project tender and contract with the contractor, the system will initially operate on a pilot basis. This would not prevent it from being used during a crisis, though some issues may emerge during the initial phase and be corrected immediately.
Questions remain as to whether any technical problems will be resolved before a major wildfire emergency requiring evacuations occurs.
Temporary communication measures
In the meantime, Civil Defence has distributed radio devices to clusters of communities and to certain high-risk areas. Community leaders have received training in their use so that communication with Civil Defence can be maintained more easily during wildfire emergencies.
Authorities have also created community messaging groups through the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority for the distribution of alerts.
Communities have additionally been asked to establish Viber or WhatsApp groups so residents can receive instructions from Civil Defence during emergencies.
Clearing vegetation before summer
District administrations have launched tenders for clearing dry grass and wild vegetation, with the work expected to be completed by the end of May.
The Ministry of the Interior also intends to allocate additional funds to community service clusters to clear abandoned agricultural land within a radius of approximately 200 metres around communities.
When asked in Parliament on 18 March what would happen if local authorities fail to carry out these clean-up works, a representative of the ministry said district administrations would pursue community clusters to ensure the decisions are implemented and that the available funds are utilised.