The Forestry Department announced the successful completion of a controlled burn on Wednesday near the edge of the Machairas Forest, in the area known as Maratheftis.
The operation was carried out for the second consecutive year as part of training and protocols developed under the SEMEDFIRE project (South Eastern Mediterranean Excellence in Fire Research), co‑funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe program.
Forestry officials conducted the burn under strict protocols and suitable weather and environmental conditions, targeting a designated zone on the forest’s perimeter. These areas, some of which border private land, are selected based on specific criteria and their elevated risk of wildfire ignition and rapid spread.
The department stressed that controlled burns are planned, fully supervised prevention measures carried out with strict safety procedures, and that there is no cause for public concern.
The practice is internationally recognized and scientifically supported as an effective method for reducing accumulated fuel loads and limiting the risk and spread of large wildfires. It also helps protect lives, property and the natural environment, while supporting biodiversity and ecological balance in forest and rural ecosystems.
The action forms part of the Forestry Department’s broader wildfire prevention and response strategy, focused on managing fuel loads in high‑risk zones. Controlled burns will continue across all forest districts, depending on weather conditions, with the aim of completing targeted areas by the end of April.