Over 90 per cent of fires in Cyprus last year were caused by human activity, the fire service said on Tuesday.

Presenting its annual report for 2024, the fire service said a slight increase of 1.02 per cent in the number of fires was seen over the year, compared to the previous one.

A total of 12,770 calls were responded to, including fires, special services, and false alarms.

Of these, 6,717 were fire-related, with 3,437 urban and 3,280 rural fires. Whereas overall fires increased by 1.02 per cent, rural fires fell by 4.32 per cent, and urban fires rose by 6.71 per cent with incidents in homes, vehicles and public buildings.

A notable rise in rural fires was recorded in February, March due to the drought of the previous winter leaving the ground very dry, in addition to May when many fires were put down to Easter bonfires.

Urban fires, meanwhile, increased by 6.71 per cent, with significant damages attributed to electrical failures, arson, and improper use of heating and cooking appliances.

Special services also saw a 15.14 per cent rise, including rescues from accidents and natural disasters.

However, false alarms continued to account for a large proportion of calls.

Despite the challenging conditions, the fire service said there was a reduction in fires during the peak summer months, attributed to improved prevention campaigns.

Efforts from various authorities, including the department of forests, the police, and the game and fauna service played a crucial role in limiting damage during the fire season, the report said.

Financially, the total damage from fires in 2024 showed a significant surge over the previous year.

Estimated losses reached €29.58 million, a sharp increase from the €9.53 million in 2023.

The bulk of the damage (€26.7 million) came from urban fires, while rural fires contributed €2.88 million in losses.

In terms of human impact, the number of individuals rescued in fire-related incidents rose to 35 in 2024, up from 25 in 2023.

A total of 61 people were either injured or lost their lives due to fires, slightly down from 66 in the previous year.

The fire service reiterated the need for greater public awareness about fire prevention.

With more proactive community involvement and swift response to fire outbreaks, the service aims to reduce the frequency and severity of future incidents.