The Cyprus Fire Service responded to 13,401 incidents in 2025, of which 7,154 were fires, Fire Service Chief Nikos Longinos said during a presentation of the service’s annual figures on Thursday.
Longinos warned of a significant coverage gap in rural and mountain areas, where 5,171 call-outs were recorded during hours when rural stations are closed — between 7 pm and 8 am. Of those, 1,180 involved fires. Rural stations must operate on a 24-hour basis, he said.
Fires rose by 4.31% in urban areas and 8.81% in rural areas compared with 2024. The total area burned in the countryside in 2025 reached 133.46 square kilometres. Nicosia district recorded the highest number of call-outs of any district.
The service rescued 1,959 people from 2,307 special assistance calls during the year. A further 307 people were injured and 41 ended up dying.
Of the 41 people who died, ten of them lost their lives in fires, with nine of those incidents recorded in Limassol and one in Nicosia.
Looking ahead to the summer fire season, Longinos said the service would have 13 aircraft at its disposal, including one newly acquired by the Republic, with two more expected over the next two years.
The service also plans to enlist registered private drone operators to help monitor and detect fires, and has already installed sensors at 13 industrial sites and four forest locations.
Recruitment of permanent staff, fleet upgrades with new fire engines and the installation of smoke detection systems are already under way, Longinos said.
Infrastructure upgrades include the modernisation of the Ayia Napa station, reinforcement of rural stations at Pachna and Eftagonia, and the demolition and rebuilding of the Larnaca station.
The service’s unified operational coordination centre at its Lakatamia headquarters, co-funded by the EU’s Thalia 2021–2027 Cohesion Fund to the tune of approximately €6.2 million, supports island-wide incident management and coordination.
Fire safety inspections carried out in 2025 revealed serious compliance failures. Of 100 inspections at entertainment venues across Cyprus, 53% were found to be unsatisfactory.
Industrial units fared worse, with 73.75% rated unsatisfactory. Longinos noted that many industrial premises had been converted into worker accommodation, calling on owners and relevant authorities to take immediate action.