It is “impossible to control everything and for everything to run perfectly” during a wildfire of the magnitude of that which tore through the Limassol district and killed two people in July, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said on Monday.

“Just as in a case of war or in the execution of such missions that the Republic of Cyprus and all its competent bodies must perform, it is normal for some omissions to occur. Nevertheless, we must be ready at any time for these omissions to be reduced and, if possible, disappear in similar cases,” he said on the sidelines of the launch of an anti-sexism campaign.

He added that “the elements of nature are not easy for anyone to tame in any way”, and said that this is also the case in “advanced countries, even those economically or technologically more advanced than the Republic of Cyprus”.

“This is inevitable and is known to everyone,” he said.

He was commenting after being asked about the findings of the United States’ Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) report into the fire, which he said are “fully respected”, also referring to the findings of reports written by institutions in Cyprus, saying that “everything that has been identified has been recorded”.

His words largely echo those of Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou, who told a joint session of the House agriculture, environment and interior committees held in light of the fire last Friday that “unprecedented weather conditions” exacerbated the situation.

“The high temperatures, combined with the prolonged drought due to the lack of rain, and the strong winds which blew in the area, created an unprecedented and extremely dangerous situation, which proved difficult to manage,” he said, adding that the conditions are “proof of the impact of rapid climate change, which is no longer a distant scenario, but a reality”.

At the same session, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said major wildfires are “the new reality”.

Fire brigade chief Nikos Longinos, meanwhile, said that while he does not dispute the findings of the ATF’s report, which stated that the fire had started from abandoned cigarette butts, the service does not preclude the possibility of arson.

He pointed out the abandoned cigarette butts highlighted by the ATF, and asked the House, “is there not a possibility that someone left them lit there?”

“How can so many cigarette butts be found within a few metres of one another? Is there a possibility that someone dropped 20 cigarettes there and left? In that case, could it be considered to be arson?” he asked.

Then, he said he had not spoken to the ATF teams, but that the fire brigade is conducting its own investigation into the matter.

Earlier in the day, police chief Themistos Arnaoutis had said there was no evidence that the fire had been started maliciously.