The mystery surrounding the deadly wildfires that swept through the Limassol mountains in late July is finally clearing. After weeks of speculation, a team of U.S. fire investigation experts has briefed President Nikos Christodoulides on their findings, confirming both the origin point and the cause of the blaze.
Monday Briefing
During a briefing at the Presidential Palace on Monday, August 18, members of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team (NRT), including senior fire investigators and forensic specialists, presented their initial findings to President Nikos Christodoulides. They were able to provide a clear and detailed account of what set off the disaster, identifying both the precise point of origin and the cause of the fire.
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To support their conclusions, the team showed the President photographic evidence of how the blaze advanced through the mountains. They emphasized the fire’s extraordinary speed of spread as a decisive factor in the destruction. This, they explained, accounts for the unusual pattern observed in the aftermath, where entire clusters of trees were reduced to ash while others, directly adjacent, were left standing.
Who Are These Experts?
The team that came to Cyprus belongs to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and is considered among the most experienced internationally in fire investigation. In fact, they have already been deployed to 44 countries to assist local authorities in uncovering the causes of major blazes.
During their stay in Cyprus, the ATF investigators applied every available technological and investigative tool. Their work included daily site visits, interviews, and reconstructions of the fire’s course, allowing them to trace the blaze back to its starting point.
For context, the ATF’s fire investigation teams are typically made up of senior fire investigators, forensic specialists, and engineers, who operate under what is considered the gold standard of fire investigation protocols. This global track record explains why Nicosia moved quickly to request their support once the Limassol fire escalated beyond the capacity of local investigators.
Cyprus–U.S. Relations
President Nikos Christodoulides used the meeting at the Presidential Palace with the visiting ATF fire investigation team to underscore the importance of deepening cooperation between Cyprus and the United States.
In a statement from the Presidency, Christodoulides thanked the U.S. government for its swift and positive response to Cyprus’s request for assistance. He emphasized that the challenge of managing and preventing wildfires is a shared concern for both countries.
Cyprus Seeks EU Support for Recovery
When asked whether the Government has applied to the European Union for compensation over the wildfire damage, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis confirmed that the process began “from the very first moment.” He explained that the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, has been appointed to coordinate the work of the relevant ministries and collect all the necessary data.
So far, more than three coordination meetings have been held, bringing together ministers as well as departmental representatives. Each ministry and department has designated a point of contact to ensure that information is gathered quickly and with the thoroughness required for an EU application.
Letymbiotis added that Raouna had also been in touch with the Office of the President of the European Commission from the outset, to ensure that Cyprus’s application would be aligned with EU timelines and procedures.
The Final Report
With their fieldwork in Cyprus now complete, the ATF investigators have returned to the United States to finalize their conclusions. A comprehensive written report is expected to be delivered to President Nikos Christodoulides within the next two weeks.
This document will set out in detail both the cause and the exact point of origin of the Limassol wildfire, and will also include supporting evidence gathered during the mission.
Government officials have made clear that, unless the report contains sensitive personal data, it will be published in full, following the practice established with previous independent investigations. The aim, as one senior official stated, is to ensure full transparency about what happened and to provide a solid basis for accountability and future preparedness.
For Cyprus, the delivery of the report marks not just the closing of one investigation, but the starting point for broader policy decisions. This may look like strengthening firefighting capabilities and redesigning prevention strategies in a country facing ever more frequent climate-driven wildfires.
