A single wildfire in the Limassol mountains last July pushed Cyprus’s fire damage bill to an estimated €134.6 million in 2025 — nearly five times the previous year’s total — as human activity continued to drive the vast majority of blazes across the island.
The July blaze alone scorched around 120 square kilometres of vegetation, vineyards and woodland, destroying homes, vehicles, machinery and electricity and telecoms infrastructure.
It accounted for the lion’s share of the €120.6 million in wildland fire damage recorded for the year, dwarfing the €2.9 million in rural fire damage logged in 2024.
The Fire Service responded to 7,154 fires across Cyprus in 2025 — 3,569 in the countryside and 3,585 in urban areas — a 6.51% rise on the previous year.
More than 94% were attributed to human activity. The damage figures are approximate estimates compiled for internal purposes, the service noted.
Burnt area across the island reached 133.46 square kilometres, up sharply from 16.47 sq km in 2024.
Outdoor fires rose 8.81% year-on-year. The sharpest increases came in the early months of the year — January (+30.26%), February (+33.88%) and March (+18.60%) — linked to drought conditions that persisted from late 2024, as well as faulty chimneys and fireplaces.
April saw a 40.95% spike tied to Easter bonfires and open burning of waste.
The Fire Service said 87.59% of outdoor fires — 3,126 out of 3,569 — involved lighting a fire without a permit, classified as a malicious act.
Deliberate fires were a particular problem in the Limassol and Paphos districts, based on arrests, witness accounts and the circumstances in which blazes broke out.
Summer fires were mainly linked to farmers burning fields after harvest, as well as illegal burning outside permitted periods.
Urban fires rose 4.31% to 3,585. Electrical faults, appliance failures, vehicle fires and discarded cigarettes were among the leading causes, alongside arson and misuse of heating and cooking equipment. Human factors accounted for more than 95% of urban fires.
Forty-five people were rescued, injured or killed in fires in 2025, down from 61 the previous year. The service also rescued 2,307 people from road accidents, workplace incidents, lift entrapments and other emergencies.
False alarms jumped 34.2% to 988 calls. The Fire Service said 97% were made in good faith, pointing to growing public awareness around fire prevention.
(information from CNA)