A tender process for the purchase of three firefighting aircraft is currently under way, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Andreas Gregoriou, told CNA on Friday, adding that one of the aircraft will be bought with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Replying to a relevant question by CNA, he said that the tender falls within the broader goal of acquiring a total of ten state-owned firefighting aircrafts within the next five years, while it also provides for an option to purchase a further five.
Regarding this year’s fire season, Gregoriou noted that 13 primary firefighting aircraft were operationally available, including nine fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters. At the same time, helicopters of the National Guard and the Police are on standby as secondary support.
Referring to the technology sector, the Permanent Secretary stressed that ‘there is a comprehensive plan to strengthen the forest surveillance system, the early detection of fires and the transmission of imagery to Operations Centers.’
According to him, Phase A of the plan has already been completed and includes, among other things, the development of a wireless data transmission network, the pilot installation of four fire detection sensors in forest areas and the procurement of five drone systems.
He added that Phase B of the plan includes actions concerning the Department of Forests, the Fire Service and the National Guard.
He also noted that within 2026 the Department of Forests will get 17 large fire engines with a capacity of six tonnes of water – 12 through the Recovery and Resilience Plan and five with national funding. In addition, three agricultural tractors have been purchased from national funds, while two bulldozer transport trucks/platforms and ten rapid response fire engines have recently been delivered, he said.
‘Unfortunately, climate change observed in every corner of the planet is also affecting Cyprus, with temperatures showing an upward trend and rainfall a downward one,’ Gregoriou noted.
Undoubtedly, he continued, ‘these conditions also affect fires, causing changes in their frequency and intensity, increasing the occurrence of large-scale fires with particularly destructive impacts.’ Weather conditions, combined with the abandonment of rural areas and changes in land use, are intensifying the trend of recent years toward more difficult fire seasons, he concluded.