Fire brigade activates national plan ahead of heatwave, may restrict access to rural roads

In a proactive move ahead of the week-long heatwave, Cyprus’ Fire Service convened an emergency coordination meeting on 18 July under the “Polyvios” national civil-protection plan. The meeting, chaired by chief officer Nikos Longinos, brought together Civil Defence, the Forestry Department, police, the National Guard and local authorities to map high-risk zones and pre-position assets. The service revealed that it has responded to 1,350 fires so far in 2026, more than 10 % of which had the potential to turn into major incidents. To bolster capacity, the government has leveraged EU funding to deliver a National Operations Coordination Centre, invested €1.2 million in new water tankers and secured 13 dedicated firefighting aircraft, with additional Canadair planes on stand-by through the EU’s rescEU mechanism. Among contingency measures under consideration is the temporary closure of unpaved forest tracks and selective access restrictions on rural highways, particularly in Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos districts. Such steps could disrupt holidaymakers driving to coastal resorts or companies sending technicians to wind-farm and telecom sites in mountainous terrain. Mobility teams are advised to monitor real-time NOTAMs for helicopter operations, as aerial firefighting sorties may impose short-notice flight restrictions near Larnaca and Paphos airports. Employers should also remind staff of the government’s blanket ban on outdoor welding, agricultural burning and the use of hot tools during the alert period; insurance claims tied to negligence can be denied if official rules are ignored. The Fire Service emphasised community cooperation, noting that 60 additional hourly staff and hundreds of volunteers have been deployed for surveillance and rapid response. With temperatures projected to remain high into next week, the agency warned that any spark—discarded cigarettes, poorly maintained machinery or even parked cars on dry grass—could ignite large-scale blazes, threatening infrastructure and travel corridors alike.