Fire brigade chief Nikos Longinos on Thursday urged the public to avoid activities that could cause fires, as Cyprus enters peak summer firefighting season.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Longinos said preparations for the wildfire season had been underway for months, with efforts focused on addressing weaknesses identified in previous years and improving the state’s ability to respond rapidly to outbreaks.

“We are trying to fill possible gaps that existed in the past,” he said.

According to Longinos, 13 firefighting aircraft have been stationed across the island since April, including eight in Paphos, two in Akrotiri and three at Larnaca airport.

Surveillance cameras have also been installed in parts of Limassol, Paphos and Larnaca to assist with monitoring rural areas, while additional personnel have been deployed to countryside fire stations.

He said the forestry department had completed extensive firebreak clearing and inspections of water tanks and hydrants.

Communities have also received guidance on clearing areas to reduce the likelihood of fires spreading into residential zones.

Longinos said civil defence officers had begun conducting evacuation exercises for the first time, while the CY Alert warning system is now operational to support emergency evacuations.

He added that a new fire brigade operations centre, built at a cost of around €7 million, is fully operational.

Further upgrades are planned through the installation of artificial intelligence assisted monitoring systems.

Although the technology is not expected to be available this year, Longinos said it would eventually allow authorities to identify smoke and respond before blazes escalate.

The fire brigade has also expanded cooperation with volunteer organisations, training more than 400 volunteers and maintaining regular contact with 11 registered volunteer groups.

“All these actions are being taken so that if a fire starts, we can reduce the chances of it seriously developing,” Longinos said.