Parliamentary report criticizes handling of 2025 Limassol and Paphos wildfires

A 46-page parliamentary report regarding the July 23, 2025, wildfires in the Limassol and Paphos districts outlines serious systemic failures and government mismanagement. The fires resulted in two deaths, the destruction of over 120 square kilometers of land in the Malia area, and the loss of 1.3% of the island's total landmass. Investigations revealed that the first aerial firefighting drop occurred 50 minutes after detection, contradicting earlier official claims of a six-minute response time. Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou was criticized for failing to answer parliamentary questions, shifting responsibility, and refusing to explain the absence of Permanent Secretary Andreas Georgiou, who traveled to Australia during the crisis. The report also noted that a mobile early warning system was inactive due to cancelled tenders, and police have yet to explain why the road where the fatalities occurred remained open. Furthermore, Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou reported that requests for meetings with Minister Panayiotou to discuss restoration were repeatedly ignored. The investigation concludes that the fire management system suffers from deep-rooted shortcomings.