Agia Anna’s community leader, Anastasis Georgiou, hit out at President Nikos Christodoulides and Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas over the large fire that broke out in the Kalo Chorio area following National Guard training live-fire exercises.
“How can live-fire exercises take place in such temperatures and at this time of year? Last year, at exactly the same time, we prevented an exercise for the same reasons,” he told reporters.
Georgiou called the National Guard’s decision to carry out the exercise unacceptable. Addressing the president and the minister responsible directly, he said: “They’re looking for the criminals who start fires, but they’re the ones starting them.”
He said two to three houses in the village narrowly escaped destruction, with help from volunteers, firefighters and forest rangers.
Official response
National Guard sources confirmed to philenews that a National Guard unit was carrying out training activity at the Kalo Chorio range. According to what philenews was told, the fire broke out during that activity, though its cause remains unknown.
Separately, asked how the fire had spread, the Director of the Department of Forests said it started at the Kalo Chorio firing range, and firefighting forces were unable to approach for safety reasons because of explosions taking place, allowing the fire to escape control.
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