A decrease of 12,62% is recorded in total fires in Cyprus, according to the statistics of the Fire Service for the year 2022.
According to the statistics for the year 2022, published on Thursday by the Fire Service, the Service has responded to a total of 6.451 fires throughout Cyprus.
More specifically, in relation to rural fires, a downward trend of 2022% or 23 is observed for 3.445, compared to 2021, when the total recorded number was 4.474.
On the contrary, urban fires see an increase of 3,33% in 2022, to 3.006, from 2.909 that occurred in the year 2021.
In addition, the Fire Service reports that during 2022, it has responded to a total of 11.247 calls for assistance, which related to calls for fires, special services and false calls.
The Fire Service finds for yet another year the contribution of the human factor in causing fires in the countryside, with the percentage reaching 90%.
Further on the fires, he states that the month of April every year traditionally shows significant increases, due to bonfires or the burning of other useless objects, which were burned in the countryside due to the Easter holidays.
In addition, he notes that usually during the month of May, there is an increased number of fires, mainly due to the bad habit of farmers to burn fields after harvesting, as well as due to deliberate burning, which takes place outside the legal season and without permission.
However, it states that for the year 2022 there is a significant reduction, compared to the corresponding period of 2021, while adding that the fact of the reduction is due to the Fire Service's prevention campaigns, informing the public with both television and radio appearances by the press representative .
In addition, he emphasizes that the role of patrols, both the Police and the Fire Service, the Department of Forestry and the Game Service, as well as other organized groups, was also a catalyst.
For urban fires, it states that the main places where the fires occurred were in plots, motor vehicles, private houses, apartment blocks, dustbins, other premises and such other places as are detailed numerically and percentageally in the table in annex 6 entitled Type and Type Installation.
As for the causes of fires in urban areas, they were mostly due to electrical problems, failure of electrical appliances in homes or properties, electrical or mechanical problems in vehicles, cigarette butts, malicious acts, arson, faulty chimneys and hearths, incorrect use of heating stoves and cooking appliances, incorrect or negligent use of tools or devices in workplaces.
It also finds that the human factor played an important role, with the causes of fires exceeding 90%.
Worth mentioning is the burned area of the countryside, which is presented for 2022 reduced by 10.22 sq. km compared to 2021.
The economic aspect of the damages is significantly reduced for 2022. As the damages estimated approximately by the Fire Service are recorded, for 2022 there were total damages of 9.491.552 euros, of which the amount of 8.615.472 euros related to urban fires and the an amount of 876.080 euros related to rural fires.
In 2021 there was a total loss amount of 29.212.512 euros, of which the amount of 10.596.402 euros related to urban fires and the amount of 18.616.110 euros related to rural fires.
The Fire Service also reports that there is a reduction in damages, while a small increase was observed in the number of responses to urban fires for 2022 at a rate of 3,33%.
Although, he notes, the numerical rate of increase of urban fires is partially increased, the monetary damage is reduced compared to 2021, i.e. 1.980.930 euros lower in 2022.
In the meantime, the Fire Service reports that the total number of people who were rescued, injured or lost their lives, due to the fires, reached 60, about the same level as the year 2021, where the number reached 55.
In detail, the Fire Service carried out 2022 fire rescues in 24 compared to 29 in 2021, while there were 31 injuries compared to 19 in 2021 and 5 people died in fires compared to 7 in the corresponding period last year.
Moreover, the number of Special Services responses for 2022 is maintained at approximately the same levels as in 2021. For the most part, the Fire Service's responses to special services are focused on rescues of people trapped in faulty elevators, responses to floods that involve pumping rainwater from homes or other properties, towing or rescuing people trapped in their vehicles in flooded roads, opening stormwater drains, preventing accidents, rescuing animals, responding to traffic collisions and extricating people, helping to transport patients, providing assistance to the Police for various incidents.
Also, the Fire Service, in the year 2022, rescued 1.744 people. The rescues concerned people who were involved in fires, traffic collisions, technological disasters, work accidents, trapped in faulty elevators, rescues of people after the collapse of buildings or other structures, rescues from tall buildings, from liquid elements, wells and from mountainous areas .
Of the 1.744 people the Fire Service was called to assist for purposes other than fires, 267 were injured and 41 resulted in death.
In relation to false calls, it states that the total number of false calls for 2022 amounts to 603 and reduced compared to 2021, the year in which the number reached 754.
The vast majority of false calls, according to the Fire Service, which reach the percentage of 99%, concern calls with a good purpose and "this proves the hypersensitivity of the public in matters of prevention and early notification of suppression teams".