Nicosia: More than 90% of wildfires that occur each year in Cyprus are caused by human activity, Chief Fire Department, Nikos Longinos, said on Monday, during his address at the opening ceremony of the fire safety week, which is co-organised by the Fire Department and ERB Insurance.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Longinos also said that the Fire Department responds on average each year to approximately 8,500 fire calls, of which 5,000 concern fires in the countryside and 3,500 in urban areas, which may be caused by negligence, recklessness, deliberate fires, or malicious or arsons.
Minister of Justice, Costas Fytiris, during his address at the event highlighted the country's small size as an advantage, which allows for a high degree of coordination of all services. He added that coordination needs to be further improved, so that response can be achieved in the shortest possible time. He also said that prevention strategies are not just an option in tackling the consequences of wildfires, but also a "national necessity."
On his part, the CEO of ERB Insurance Holdings in Cyprus, Takis Phidia, noted that the fact that human activity is to blame for 90% of wildfires indicates that the vast majority of fires can be prevented, and stressed the importance of cooperation for prevention purposes.