In March, Cyprus boasted that it was better prepared than ever to tackle the earth-scorching wildfires that now rage across Southern Europe with alarming frequency.
The government had 11 planes ready to go. The firefighting corps was up 27 percent. There were 25 new fire engines available.
It wasn’t enough.
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When a massive blaze began in the south of the island earlier this month, the government’s early warning system didn’t go off. An update, planned for 2024, had been delayed. Locals then complained that the evacuation strategy was unclear, and wildfire specialists said the country waited too long to request EU assistance.
