Community leader blames National Guard for wildfire in Kalo Chorio

A large wildfire broke out on July 27, 2026, in the area of Kalo Chorio, Larnaca district, amid accusations that it was triggered by live-fire exercises conducted by the National Guard. Anastasis Georgiou, the community leader of Agia Anna, harshly criticized President Nikos Christodoulides and Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas for allowing such training during extreme summer temperatures, noting that a similar exercise had been successfully prevented by locals last year.

The blaze threatened residential areas, with several houses narrowly escaping destruction thanks to the intervention of firefighters, forest rangers, and volunteers. Due to the danger, approximately ten elderly residents were evacuated to nearby villages. Mr. Georgiou also expressed significant frustration regarding the emergency response, highlighting that the official CY Alert notification arrived at 17:20, long after the village had already initiated its own evacuation procedures by ringing the church bell at 12:30. While National Guard sources confirmed that a unit was training at the range when the fire started, the exact cause of the ignition remains under investigation.