The state again failed to protect the country and its citizens from wildfires
28 July 2026, AKEL C.C. Press Office, Nicosia
AKEL expresses its appreciation and respect for the uniformed services and volunteers who fought a gruelling battle against the fire yesterday in the villages of Larnaca and prevented the worst from happening. We express our solidarity with the residents of the communities of Agia Anna and Psevdas and call for immediate support to be provided for those affected by the fire. At the same time, serious and pressing questions are being raised, given that the fire is believed to have started at the Kalo Chorio firing range in Larnaca, where the National Guard was carrying out the destruction of old ammunition.
The government and the state authorities must answer the following questions:
- On what grounds did the National Guard carry out the destruction of old ammunition in the midst of a heatwave, given that such activities, which carry an increased risk of causing fires, are strictly prohibited for members of the public? The Minister of Defence must explain who gave this order, who was aware of it and who was involved in the whole process.
- Why did the CyAlert early warning system fail to function?
- Why were the community evacuation plans not implemented in a timely manner, and why, once again, were communities at risk alerted only by the ringing of bells?
- How are the relevant Ministries responding to the complaints made by the head of the Agia Anna local community regarding firebreaks and the lack of coordination?
Responsibility for all this must be assigned. The disappointing and infuriating conclusion, however, is that one year on from the devastating and deadly fire in the Limassol mountains, the state continues to fail to protect the area and its citizens from fires. A year on from the grandiose declarations and pledges for drastic improvements to the entire fire protection and civil defence system, we find ourselves back to square one.
