1,3% of the island's area has been burned by the devastating fire in the Limassol district last week, affecting not only biodiversity but also local communities and ecosystems that will take decades to recover.
According to new analysis by the Eratosthenes Center of Excellence, the devastating fire that broke out in the Limassol district on July 23, 2025 is estimated to have burned a total of 120,7 km². Considering that the total area of Cyprus is 9.251 km², the burned area corresponds to approximately 1,3% of the island's area, a particularly significant percentage if one considers that it is concentrated in a single fire.
This loss, he points out, "affects not only the biodiversity and natural heritage of the region, but also local communities and ecosystems that take decades to recover."
The estimate comes from high-resolution satellite data (3 m) of the PlanetScope constellation, which were obtained on 26/7/2025 at 09:00 (UTC).
Based on data from the WorldCover program of the European Space Agency (ESA), of the total burned area, approximately 51% concerns grasslands, 31% sclerophyllous vegetation, 15,5% woody vegetation, while 1,1% corresponds to residential areas.
In addition, approximately 21% of the burned area falls within the Natura 2000 network, affecting important protected areas, such as the Paramali River, the Ha-Potami Special Protection Area and the Limnatis Valley Special Protection Area.
Source: KYPE
