Cyprus Defense Minister Orders Probe After Discarded Ammunition Ignites Brushfire
NICOSIA, Cyprus – In a shocking incident, a discarded ammunition sparked a fast-moving brushfire in the middle of the summer fire season, prompting Cyprus’ defense minister to order a probe.
Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas expressed intense dissatisfaction and strong irritation over the incident, stating that an engineering battalion destroyed a half dozen rocket-propelled grenade projectiles at the Kalo Chorio firing range on the island’s southern coast.
Palmas ordered the probe to determine why the rounds were detonated under the scorching summer heat, despite regulations prohibiting such explosions during the summer months. The temperature at the time of the incident was a staggering 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).
According to Palmas, the engineers battalion would have logically been in contact with National Guard Command before proceeding with the disposal of the ammunition. The purpose of the probe is to determine exactly how this transpired, with a report expected to be ready in the next couple of weeks.
The incident has sparked concerns about the handling of ammunition disposal on the island, which has experienced a series of devastating wildfires in recent years. A regional fire-fighting hub has been set up on Cyprus, which could assist Middle East countries in battling major wildfires.
A year ago, Cyprus experienced one of its most devastating wildfires in recent memory, which killed an elderly couple in their car as they tried to flee the rapidly moving front along a mountain road.
The probe is expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the incident and the protocols in place for the disposal of ammunition on the island. In the meantime, the island’s residents are left to wonder how such a preventable disaster could have occurred.
A total of 100 firefighters, assisted by eight aircraft, were able to place the fire under control after it scorched about 120 hectares (300 acres) of wild growth and prompted the precautionary evacuation of two small communities near the fire front. Fortunately, no homes or other property were damaged.
Arid winters and scorching summers in recent years have created tinderbox conditions on the east Mediterranean island nation, making it a high-risk area for wildfires.
