Newsroom
A citizen’s Facebook post describing his alarming experience with Cyprus’ emergency number 112 has gone viral, raising questions about public safety protocols and state readiness during the fire season.
The incident took place on Friday, 15th August, around 4:00 p.m., on the road from Lysos towards Pelathousa, at the edge of the Paphos forest. Christos Mouskos and his wife, returning from Stavros tis Psokas to Pomos, noticed flames at the roadside. Recognising the risk of a blaze spreading into the dense forest, Mouskos immediately called 112.
Instead of receiving urgent assistance, however, Mouskos claims he was met with indifference. “I am at this spot and right now a fire seems to have started,” he told the operator. When he pleaded for urgency, warning that the fire could spread to the forest, the response reportedly came back: “It’s not me who will put it out.”
Mouskos wrote that the operator did not ask for his name, details, or even the precise location of the fire. “We hung up the phone filled with disappointment at how the System handles such incidents and how it values citizens’ cooperation,” he noted in his post, which included a video of the fire.
The story struck a nerve online, with dozens of comments condemning the operator’s alleged apathy and calling for accountability. One commenter wrote, “Only by luck do we continue to exist.” Another added, “And yet, they ask citizens to call immediately if they see smoke or fire, but this is the response?”
By Saturday evening, the post had gained enough traction to prompt a reaction from the authorities. The Police confirmed awareness of the complaint, and Deputy Chief of Police Panicos Stavrou has reportedly ordered an administrative investigation to identify the officer who took the call and to examine the circumstances.
For many citizens, however, the matter reflects a deeper problem. Cyprus has been scarred by devastating wildfires in recent years, including last month’s fatal blaze in rural Limassol, and there is growing concern that emergency services remain unprepared.
Although this particular fire appears to have been contained with minimal damage, reportedly limited to dry grass, Mouskos and many others see it as a warning. “Perhaps somehow it was dealt with or by luck it did not spread,” he wrote, “but is anyone out there listening?”
