Cyprus early-warning system failure during Kalo Chorio wildfire

On July 27, 2026, a major wildfire erupted at the Kalo Chorio firing range in the Larnaca district, triggered by the National Guard's decision to conduct ammunition destruction during high-temperature conditions. The blaze necessitated the precautionary evacuation of the Agia Anna and Psevdas communities, burning approximately 120 hectares of land. While emergency services and the Civil Defence successfully mobilized 42 personnel to assist with evacuations and containment, the national early-warning system, Cy-Alert, failed to function correctly, resulting in a critical two-hour delay in sending notification messages to residents.

The system's contractor, GCC, attributed the failure to an unforeseen technical error occurring during the platform's first real-world emergency use. This incident has sparked public and political outrage, particularly from the Agia Anna community leader, who is demanding the permanent relocation of the firing range due to recurring safety risks. In response to the failures and the fire's origins, the Ministry of Defence has appointed Brigadier Savvas Stefanou as an investigator to determine potential criminal and disciplinary responsibilities. Meanwhile, concerns persist regarding the reliability of the Cy-Alert system despite earlier test exercises, and authorities are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the decision to carry out live-fire disposal during a period of extreme fire risk.