The Forestry Department has set fire to sections of Machairas Forest for the second year running, burning off accumulated vegetation that officials say could fuel a rapid, uncontrollable wildfire if left unchecked.
Officers carried out the burn on Wednesday at Maratheftis, on the forest’s edge, targeting zones where a fire breaking out could spread quickly into the wider forest — in some cases jumping onto neighbouring private land. The areas were selected on the basis of specific fire-risk criteria, the department said.67
Controlled burns are a standard wildfire prevention tool, reducing the volume of combustible material on the forest floor before the summer fire season. The department said the technique is internationally recognised and scientifically supported, and that the public had no cause for concern — the burns are fully supervised and carried out only under suitable weather conditions.
Wednesday’s operation was conducted under protocols developed through SEMEDFIRE, an EU Horizon Europe-funded fire research project spanning the south-eastern Mediterranean.
The department said burns will continue across all forest districts through April, with teams responding to weather conditions as they go.
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