Deadly Limassol Fire 2025: The "lion" they let run

The deadly fire that broke out in July 2025 in the Limassol Mountains was not a "natural disaster" that caught us unprepared. It was a premeditated crime of negligence and lack of prevention. The summer that we mourned lives, that we saw villages reduced to ashes, that nature fell silent within a few hours, will remain etched in the history of Cyprus not only for the flames, but also for the gaps in the state.

The admission of Archbishop Nikos Longinos, in a statement today that caused shock, was revealing:

"There was an absence of a coordinator, without a replacement being appointed. We let a lion run without catching it." (Source: Alpha Cyprus – AlphaNews Live).

A phrase that encapsulates the chaos, incompetence and tragic outcome of a State that was unable to protect its citizens.

In every major fire, the first and decisive factor is coordination. An operations center that gives orders, that ensures that ground and air forces act complementary, that allocates resources based on priorities.

In Limassol in 2025, this center was found to be headless. The coordinator was missing. And – most unthinkable – no replacement had been appointed.

Thus, while the flames spread with the wind, the forces acted uncoordinated. Fire trucks moved without knowing exactly where to strike. Helicopters and planes were thrown into fires that were perhaps not the most critical. And the residents, without information, were left at the mercy of panic.

The "lion" of fire ran unchecked, because no one held the reins.

The lack of prevention

The tragedy was the tip of the iceberg. The base was the chronic neglect of prevention:

• Uncleared dry grass and branches created natural fuel for the fire.

• No fire zones around villages, roads and critical infrastructure.

• Few firefighters and almost non-existent surveillance with technological means (cameras, drones).

• Insufficient firefighting and water supply infrastructure for fire engines, resulting in delays.

The fire found no resistance. It found a place abandoned, ready to burn.

The human cost: the wounds are not only material

The tragedy is not measured only in burned trees. It is measured in:

• Dead people, trapped and unable to escape.

• Families displaced, who saw their belongings collapse in a matter of hours.

• Children breathing smoke, with long-term respiratory damage.

• Residents with psychological trauma, who sleep in fear that the fire will come again.

• Thousands of animals burned alive – a silent tragedy that no one will compensate for.

The cost in human life and health is incalculable. And that is the true measure of failure.

Environmental crim

Mountainous Limassol lost decades of natural heritage in a few hours.

• Forests of pine, olive and carob trees were reduced to ashes.

• Rare species of flora and fauna disappeared.

• Ecosystems collapsed, with cascading effects.

Experts warn: without immediate reforestation and protection measures, the burned mountains will become hotbeds of flooding, erosion and desertification. The crime is not only of the present, but also of the future.

The state that looked elsewhere

The responsibilities are political and timeless. For years, residents and experts warned. They sent appeals, they filed reports. No one listened.

Cyprus has received millions of euros in European funds for civil protection and fire prevention. Where did this money go? Why wasn't it translated into infrastructure, into plans, into people in the field?

When the state leaves the countryside defenseless, we are not talking about a “natural disaster.” We are talking about political criminal negligence.

In Greece, following the deadly fires in Mati, new evacuation plans, preventive controls and investments in aerial means were adopted.

In Portugal, the European Union imposed specific protection measures after repeated tragedies.

In Cyprus, however, the same images are repeated. Every summer, the same statements, the same tears, the same promises.

What needs to change?

If we don't want to grieve again, we need:

1. Permanent coordination mechanism with alternative responsible persons.

2. Clean-ups and fire zones before each summer.

3. Water stations and access road network to all mountain villages.

4. Modern aerial and ground means and immediate mobilization at the first flames.

5. Continuous education and information of citizens.

6. Accountability – without it, nothing will change.

7. The fire burned our land. But the worst thing will be if we let our voice burn too.

8. The statement of the Archpriest reminds us that the state let the lion run.

9. The question is: will we let it run again?

10. Silence is complicity. Our voice is the only weapon we have.

SIGN – DON'T LET THEM DO IT AGAIN

✍️ Sign the petition for life, to respond to prevention, justice and protection of our earth:

👉 https://chng.it/f5wMmJ7ZS