Twelve firefighting aircraft are already prepared to support this year’s wildfire response, with a thirteenth expected to be ready in the coming days, Fire Service Chief Nikos Longinos has said.
Speaking on CyBC — Longinos – who has served as national coordinator of the Civil Protection Mechanism since March 11 — reminded the public that 90 to 94 percent of wildfires are caused by human activity.
He said it is up to citizens to prevent a repeat of last year’s tragedy.
Longinos noted that penalties for fire‑related offenses are severe but urged the public to act out of civic responsibility rather than fear of punishment.