Human activity behind vast majority of wildfires in Cyprus

At the launch of Fire Safety Week in Cyprus, Fire Department Chief Nikos Longinos stated that human actions are responsible for the overwhelming majority of wildfires on the island, exceeding 90 percent each year. The event was jointly organised by the Fire Department and ERB Insurance.

Longinos provided figures illustrating the scale of the issue, explaining that the Fire Department handles roughly 8,500 incidents annually. Around 5,000 of these occur in rural areas, while about 3,500 take place in towns and cities. Causes range from carelessness and unsafe practices to intentional acts such as arson.

Speaking at the same event, Justice Minister Costas Fytiris pointed out that Cyprus’ relatively small geographic size makes it easier for emergency services to coordinate their efforts. At the same time, he stressed that improving cooperation remains important to ensure faster response times. He described prevention as a critical national priority rather than a secondary measure.

Takis Phidia, head of ERB Insurance Holdings in Cyprus, focused on the implications of the statistics. He argued that since most fires are linked to human behavior, many could be avoided altogether. He emphasized that stronger collaboration between authorities and the public is essential to reduce the number of incidents.