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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]
2 clusters · 10 sources · 1 days · First seen · Last updated
Categories: INTERNATIONAL · POLITICS
Cyprus wildfires linked to military firing range
Entities: Vassilis Palmas · Rethymno (Crete) · Greek Fire Service · Cyprus regional fire fighting hub · Larnaca (Cyprus)
Overview
On 27 July 2026, Cyprus’s defence minister ordered an investigation after National Guard engineers illegally detonated discarded ammunition at the Kalo Chorio firing range, igniting a fast‑moving brush fire that burned about 120 ha and forced the evacuation of two small communities.
The following day, separate wildfires flared in Crete’s Rethymno region and near Larnaca, Cyprus. In Larnaca, authorities and local officials blamed the nearby defence ministry firing range for the blaze, demanding its removal, while firefighting crews deployed hundreds of personnel, vehicles, helicopters and aircraft to contain the fires. The incidents prompted heightened scrutiny of military training activities and a large‑scale emergency response across the affected areas.
Timeline
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2 days ago
[INTERNATIONAL] 5 sourcesWildfires in Crete and Larnaca trigger massive firefighting effortsCrete and Larnaca face wildfires as strong winds hinder Crete’s aerial response, while Cyprus blames a defence‑range firing range for a separate blaze, prompting continued firefighting and calls for action.
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3 days ago
[POLITICS] 5 sourcesCyprus Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas Orders Probe After Ammunition Detonation Sparks Brush FireCyprus Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas ordered an investigation after National Guard engineers detonated discarded ammunition at Kalo Chorio, sparking a 120‑ha brush fire; 100 firefighters and eight aircraft d
Sources
agronews.gr · cyprus-mail.com · eleftherostypos.gr · independent.co.uk · japantoday.com · liveblogwp.wtop.com · omegalive.com.cy · protagon.gr · srnnews.com · thetoc.gr