A second joint session of the parliamentary committees on Internal Affairs, Agriculture, and Environment was held yesterday in an atmosphere of intense concern. The session focused on the consequences and the government’s handling of the devastating wildfire that affected the mountainous Limassol region last July. The five-hour meeting centered on the coordination and readiness of the relevant authorities.
The most heated comments expressed frustration about the delayed response and the inability to activate evacuation mechanisms. A report stating that the fire’s two victims were warned but chose to drive down a burning road caused shock. Members of Parliament (MPs) called this statement “unacceptable and insensitive.”
The blame game and a lack of resources
A central problem remains the fragmentation of responsibilities among different ministries and departments. MPs and community representatives demanded a clear answer as to who has the final say and who coordinates in a time of crisis. At the same time, they pointed out shortages in personnel, equipment, and infrastructure, with several community leaders claiming that significant interventions are still pending in the affected areas.
Communities are calling for long-term recovery and rural regeneration plans. Proposals for land consolidation, planting vineyards, and measures to prevent landslides were submitted, while there were also references to the lack of schools, infrastructure, and a permanent presence of state services.
Upcoming session and ongoing investigation
The Speaker of the House, who chaired the session, announced that the next meeting would focus on the testimonies of firefighters and environmental organizations and plans for environmental restoration. The session’s focus is on the highly anticipated report, which is expected to assign responsibility and bring about real change.
Regarding the controversial statement that MPs called “unacceptable and insensitive”—that the two victims of the fire were warned and chose to drive down a burning road—the Chief of Police, Themistos Arnaoutis, said that the couple had been informed the road was dangerous but ignored the instructions. When asked by the Chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee, Aristos Damianou, to clarify whether the Police’s position was that the two citizens were told the road was dangerous or that it was on fire and they ignored it, Arnaoutis stated, “We have testimony that they were told where to go.” He added that the testimony would be presented at the inquest. When asked a second time if this was his position, the Chief replied, “Yes, that is our position.”
A controversial take on the cause of the fire
Furthermore, the Fire Chief, Nikos Longinos, defended his previous statements about arson being the cause of the fire in Malia. “When fires break out at 2 a.m. in places where there is no one, when eight fires break out in the Stavrokonnou area, what could it be?” he asked. “I have pictures of cigarette butts on my phone, and no one can disprove me. From the day after the fire (24/7) at 7:52 a.m.” According to the law, he added, a person who causes a fire by throwing a cigarette is guilty of a crime. “In a place where there is no bench for someone to enjoy the area, how can cigarette butts be found? Is there a possibility that someone threw cigarettes and it’s arson? If it was with a lighter it was arson, but if they left 20 lit cigarettes, is that not arson? I will not question the Americans’ report, but I insist that it could be arson,” he continued. Longinos said he had appointed a three-member committee to investigate the causes of the fire, provoking a reaction from the Speaker of the House, who asked, “Why did we bring in the Americans if you are conducting your own investigation?”
“Mega-fires” require a different approach
The Ministers of Interior and Agriculture provided a detailed briefing to the MPs on the progress of restoration measures, the situation on the ground, and the next steps. They stressed that dealing with such phenomena requires a modernization of structures and coordinated action.
The Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, described the fire as one of the most severe ever to affect the country. He attributed its scale to unprecedented weather conditions: high temperatures, prolonged drought, and strong winds. He cited data submitted by the Chief of the National Guard, according to which, during the fire in the mountainous Limassol region, the burn rate reached 10 acres per hour, four times the average of previous fires. The report from the U.S. Federal Agency ATF confirmed the intensity and difficulty of the situation.
Ioannou extensively presented the measures being implemented to repair the damage and support those affected: €2.2 million has already been paid to 279 families as a one-off assistance for basic needs. 348 people were temporarily housed by the Civil Defence, with 58 still being accommodated. From September 1st, a rent allowance will be paid to 124 families. 706 properties were recorded as affected, of which 335 were completely destroyed. Compensation procedures have begun. According to the Minister, the majority of the compensation is expected to be finalized by the end of September.
For her part, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, highlighted the multi-level plan the state is following to restore the natural environment and support farmers. As she stated, “mega-fires are now the new reality and require a different approach.” Among other things, she noted: The location for the construction of 60 anti-flood embankments has been finalized, with the first 25 to be ready by October. So far, €3.2 million has been paid to 1,311 farmers for income loss. 987 applications were submitted for two schemes to reactivate agricultural units. A digital platform for submitting damage reports was put into operation. Debris was removed from 11 communities, with an emphasis on asbestos waste.
Foreign aircraft presence on the island
Among the most notable interventions was that of the Chief of the National Guard, Lieutenant General Georgios Tsitsikostas, who defended the National Guard’s operational readiness, sending clear messages about the capabilities, weaknesses, and especially the degree of responsibility of each person involved. “Every time it was heard that we are ready, this was said because we told our political superiors. And we were ready. If you were to ask us again, we would say the same thing,” he said emphatically, stressing that readiness is not a matter of communication policy but of military planning and implementation.
The Chief of the National Guard also highlighted the importance of the trust shown by foreign countries in the Cypriot authorities, noting that “for foreigners to come and operate with us, it means that they feel safe with the way coordination is done.” He also emphasized that it is unfeasible for Cyprus to maintain a fleet of 110 aircraft, as some may consider ideal, and that acquiring new aircraft requires a wait of many years. He added that the presence of aircraft from other countries at a base in Cyprus saves millions of euros and is an indication of strong interstate relations.