A report by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has detailed the response of authorities to the Limassol Fire that started on 23 July 2025.
The report notes that once the fire was discovered and authorities were notified, various governmental agencies, including the Police, the Fire Service, and the Civil Defence, began the process of initiating evacuations.
The fire killed two people, burned approximately 10,117 hectares, and damaged 532 homes, 113 warehouses, and 29 businesses, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
The report outlines a timeline of key events. The fire was first reported at approximately 13:26 on 23 July 2025, north of the village of Malia. Two separate calls were placed to the Fire Service at approximately 13:30, with the first fire engine arriving on the scene at 13:45 and a second at 14:40.
Official response and coordination
The investigation highlights the collaborative actions of multiple agencies. The Civil Defence issued the first evacuation order for the Malia area at 14:00, with the Fire Service issuing an additional order at 15:00. The report also notes that a resident of Arsos was advised by police at 13:45 to evacuate their vehicles, with the Civil Defence giving orders for the village to evacuate to Pachna by 14:10.
The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) was not authorised by the fire service to enter actively burning areas, but it did provide repair and power restoration services as the fire moved through the affected areas.
The report includes witness accounts of the evacuation process. A resident of Malia was advised by the police and fire departments to evacuate and was later taken to Pachna with her mother. Similarly, the Community Leader of Malia, Marilena Athini, received a phone call from the Civil Defence at approximately 13:00, advising her to evacuate her village to Pachna.
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