An increase in the total number of all fires (urban - rural), of 1,02%, is recorded in 2024 according to the annual review of the Fire Service, which was shared with the media on Tuesday. During 2024, the Fire Service responded to a total of 12.770 calls for assistance, which concerned calls for fires, special services and false calls.
The Fire Department responded to a total of 6.717 fires nationwide, 3.280 of which concerned rural fires and 3.437 urban fires.
Over 90% of fires were due to the human factor and human activity.
Wildfires
A decrease is observed for 2024 with the total number being 3.280 and the percentage decreasing by 4,32% compared to 2023, when the total recorded number was 3.428.
Despite this, there is an increase in fires for the months of February by 12,96% and March by 13,49%, mainly due to the drought that existed during the winter period from late 2023 and early 2024.
Additionally, an increase of 29,35% is observed during the month of May, due to the burning of embers or other useless objects, which are burned in the open air due to the Easter holidays.
Regarding the number of fires during the summer months, according to the Fire Department, this is "mainly due to the bad habit of farmers of burning fields after harvesting, as well as due to deliberate burning, which takes place outside the legal season and without a permit."
Despite this, a decrease in wildfires is recorded during the fire season and this, it is added, "is due to the Fire Service's prevention campaigns, with public information provided through both television and radio participation by the Fire Service's Press and Public Relations Office."
Additionally, it is noted that the role of patrols by the Fire Department, the Forestry Department, the Police and the Hunting Service, as well as other organized groups, was also crucial.
Causes of wildfires
According to the Fire Department, wildfires are caused by burning, deliberate burning, burning of trash, discarding cigarette butts, using tools that cause sparks in the open air, preparing food in unauthorized areas, or other human activities in the open air that are likely to cause fires.
Furthermore, it was observed, based on some arrests made by the Police following testimonies, as well as on the conditions of the area and the time of the fires, that a number of them were malicious, particularly in the districts of Limassol and Paphos.
It is observed for yet another year that a large percentage of 78,74% of the total number of wildfires for the year 2024, (2.583 out of 3.280), is due to lighting a fire without a permit, which falls under the category of "malicious act".
The contribution of the human factor in causing fires in the countryside records a percentage that exceeds 90%.
Urban fires
In urban fires, an increase of 6,71% is observed. The number in 2024 is 3.437, compared to 3.221 that occurred in the year 2023.
The main event locations were on plots of land, motor vehicles, private homes, apartment buildings, trash cans, other premises and other spaces.
Regarding the causes of fires in urban areas, these, as reported, were mostly due to electrical problems, failure of electrical appliances in homes or premises, electrical or mechanical problems in vehicles, cigarette butts, malicious acts, arson, defective chimneys and fireplaces, incorrect use of heating stoves and cooking appliances, incorrect or negligent use of tools or devices in workplaces.
Burned area and the economic aspect of the losses
Worth mentioning is the burned area of the countryside, which is presented for 2024 (16,47 sq. km), reduced by 4,79 sq. km compared to 2023 (21,26 sq. km), which is due to the reduction in the total number of fires.
The economic aspect of the losses appears to be increased for 2024. As recorded, estimated approximately by the Fire Service, the losses for 2024 amount to 29.580,390 million euros, of which 26.702,420 million euros concerned urban fires and 2.877,970 million euros concerned rural fires.
In 2023, there was a total amount of losses of 9.525,145 million euros, of which the amount of 8.444,580 million euros related to urban fires and the amount of 1.080,565 million euros to rural fires.
There is a significant increase in damages, as well as an increase in the number of Fire Service responses to urban fires for 2024, at a rate of 6,71%. Both the numerical percentage of urban fires and the financial damage (20.055,245 million euros above in 2024) are increased, which is due to the areas and facilities where the fires occurred.
Recommendations
The Fire Department emphasizes that more public awareness is needed on prevention issues, as well as immediate notification of the Fire Department regarding the occurrence of fires, for immediate response and suppression and, consequently, damage limitation.
Additionally, the public should also implement voluntary fire safety measures, as well as comply with the Fire Department's instructions for observing fire safety measures in premises (which identify the fire in a timely manner, resulting in timely information for immediate response).
It is necessary to implement fire safety measures to promptly suppress any potential fire and limit its spread.
Total number of survivors, injured and dead
The total number of people who were rescued, injured or died due to fires amounted to 61, compared to the year 2023, where the number amounted to 66.
In detail, the Fire Department carried out 2024 fire rescues in 35 compared to 25 in 2023. There were 22 injuries compared to 36 in 2023 and 4 people lost their lives in fires, compared to 5 people who lost their lives during the corresponding period last year.
Special Services
The number of Special Services responses for 2024 marks an increase of 15,14% compared to 2023.
They focus on extricating people trapped in faulty elevators, responding to floods involving the pumping of rainwater from homes or other properties, towing or rescuing people trapped in their vehicles on flooded roads, opening storm drains, accident prevention, animal rescues, responding to traffic collisions and extricating people, assisting with the transport of patients, and providing assistance to the Police for various incidents.
In 2024, the Rescue Service rescued 2.316 people after traffic collisions, technological disasters or work accidents, rescuing people from tall buildings, water, wells and mountainous areas.
Additionally, people were rescued after being trapped in faulty elevators, as well as people who were trapped after buildings or other structures collapsed. Of the 2.316 people the Fire Department was called to help, 287 suffered injuries and 57 died.
Fake calls
These are divided into 3 categories, malicious ones which are false and are made exclusively with bad intent, those which do not have bad intent but are made by individuals who identify characteristics in the environment that resemble a fire, such as dust in the open air produced by an agricultural tractor as it plows a field and perceived by passersby as a fire, and those which are made due to mechanical or electrical failure, i.e. alarm systems sounding without there being a fire because they have suffered mechanical or electrical failure.
Overall, the number of false calls for 2024 stands at 736, an increase of 84 compared to 2023, where the number stood at 652.
The vast majority, 96%, concern calls with a good purpose.
Human factor
Over 90% of fires were due to the human factor and human activity.
Despite the difficult environmental conditions that prevail, especially during the fire season, the aggressive tactics implemented by the Fire Service with ground and air forces from the initial stage of the outbreak of fires, prove to be crucial in limiting wildfires.
Additionally, it is observed that the immediacy of firefighting intervention in urban fires or in special services for rescue purposes limits damage to both property and loss of human life to a minimum.
Catalytic factors for the frequency of rural/urban fires or special services
Factors include the environmental conditions prevailing during the year, the preventive measures taken by all Services, the human conscientiousness and timely information received by the fire suppression forces when a fire is detected, the public's awareness and intention to observe, record and testify to malicious or incendiary actions, the patrols, the staffing of the Field Stations and the cooperation that exists in these matters between all the fire suppression Services and the cooperation of the Fire Service with the Police and the other competent Services in investigating the causes of fires through investigative action, as well as bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Source: KYPE
