Newsroom
Cyprus authorities and British military personnel carried out a large-scale wildfire response exercise on Monday in the Machairas National Forest Park near the village of Kapedes, testing the island’s emergency coordination systems ahead of the summer fire season.
The exercise, named “Hephaestus 2026,” simulated a dangerous forest fire that began near Kapedes in Nicosia District before spreading into the national forest park and threatening nearby homes and communities.
Firefighting teams from the Department of Forests led the operation with support from the Fire Service, Police, Civil Defence, National Guard, Ambulance Service, Game and Fauna Service, Meteorological Department, Nicosia District Administration, volunteer organizations, and the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre. British Bases personnel and aircraft also participated in the drill.
A British Bases Chinook helicopter joined Republic of Cyprus aerial firefighting units during the exercise, which also activated the national “IKAROS 2” aerial operations plan and the Department of Forests’ “Astrapi” wildfire response protocol.
Officials said the training was designed to measure how effectively Cyprus’ emergency services can coordinate during a major wildfire crisis while also identifying areas where firefighting systems can be improved.
Department of Forests Director Dr. Savvas Iezekiel praised the performance of the participating crews after the exercise, describing the response as highly professional and emphasizing the importance of maintaining constant preparedness during periods of elevated fire risk.
He also thanked the British Bases for their continued support, particularly the contribution of aerial firefighting resources, which he said can prove critical during difficult wildfire conditions.
The operation was directed through the Department of Forests’ Local Operations Centre in cooperation with all participating agencies.
With information from British Bases Cyprus and Department of Forests.
