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As raging wildfires swept through Cyprus last month, killing two people and devastating communities, the official tasked with coordinating the state’s wildfire response was more than 13,000 kilometers away in Australia.
Andreas Grigoriou, the island’s general wildfire coordinator, was abroad on what the Agriculture Ministry described as a “business mission.” His absence during one of the most critical emergencies of the year quickly became the focal point of a heated joint parliamentary session on Monday, where four House committees grilled top ministers and civil service officials over what went wrong.
Fire Chief Nikos Logginos, meanwhile, issued his own apology, saying the Fire Service worked with what it had. He reminded MPs that decisions about leadership and resources were above his pay grade.
Despite public outrage, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou stood by Grigoriou, insisting he didn’t need special permission to travel and wasn’t meant to have an “operational role” in the first place. Grigoriou himself claimed his absence made no difference in the outcome.
But MPs weren’t buying it.
“Where was the backup?” several lawmakers asked, pointing to the 52-minute delay in the first aerial response, the breakdown in coordination, and confusion on the ground as communities burned.
A blame game with no winners
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou told MPs that nothing would be swept under the rug. He said the government brought in American wildfire experts to help assess the damage and improve Cyprus’s fire response system. Compensation payouts, he said, will begin next week.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis also took the floor to publicly apologize for calling the two fire-related deaths an “accident.” He outlined improvements made to the Fire Service, including 190 new hires, upgraded vehicles, and new drone equipment, but acknowledged that no evidence of arson had been found.
Agriculture Minister Panayiotou admitted the state didn’t respond as well as it should have. She said staffing at the Forestry Department had improved since 2021, but even that wasn’t enough to stop the spread.
Fire Chief Nikos Logginos, meanwhile, issued his own apology, saying the Fire Service worked with what it had. He reminded MPs that decisions about leadership and resources were above his pay grade.
Bickering, frustration, and calls for accountability
Monday’s session wasn’t short on drama. House Speaker Annita Demetriou clashed with opposition MP Nikolas Papadopoulos over procedural matters, while she scolded ministers for not taking notes when lawmakers asked hard-hitting questions.
From the public gallery, local leaders from affected villages watched in frustration.
“We didn’t come here for political theater,” one community representative was overheard saying. “We came for answers.”
The official reports: Holes everywhere
Newly released departmental reports paint a worrying picture:
- The police recommended clearer command structures and better control over press briefings.
- The Fire Service flagged problems like uncut grass, insufficient rural staff, and no designated fire shelters in villages.
- The Forestry Department called for a full overhaul of fire prevention strategy, especially around community boundaries.
- Civil Defense noted outdated evacuation plans and a legal vacuum when it came to summer camps and emergency shelters.
Despite months of saying Cyprus was better prepared than ever, officials now say they’ll need international help. President Christodoulides has already accepted assistance from the United States to review and reform the country’s wildfire management strategy.
Public patience is wearing thin
For now, the flames may be out, but tempers are still burning. With no clear chain of command, late responses, and leaders caught flat-footed, many fear that Cyprus hasn’t learned from past tragedies.
Or as one MP bluntly put it, “We keep calling ourselves ready until the fire comes.”
