Firefighting services will remain on heightened alert until the end of July, Chief Fire Officer Nicos Longinos, the General Fire Coordinator, told CNA on Friday.
Responding to a CNA question, Longinos said temperatures are expected to rise again next week following a slight drop over the weekend, while winds in some areas continue to keep the risk of wildfires high.
He said weather conditions are continuously assessed in cooperation with the Department of Meteorology to ensure that the services remain ready to respond, adding that several small fires have been brought under control before they could spread.
Longinos also said that an operational readiness drill was held in Limassol on Friday, during which the ‘Astrapi’ plan was activated under a grey alert and personnel were instructed to report immediately to their fire stations. He described the results as ‘excellent’, saying that more than 85% of personnel reported for duty within 30 minutes.