Cyprus Wildfire Burns 1.3% of Island’s Land Area, Satellite Data Shows

Jerusalem, 28 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Nicosia (CNA) – The devastating wildfire that broke out in the Limassol district on 23 July is estimated to have burned a total of 120.7 sq km, according to the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, describing it a significant percentage which affects the region’s biodiversity and natural heritage.

The center said that taking into account that the total area of Cyprus is 9,251 sq km, the burned area corresponds to approximately 1.3% of the island’s surface, a particularly significant percentage considering that it resulted from a single wildfire.

This loss affects not only the region’s biodiversity and natural heritage but also local communities and ecosystems, which will require decades to recover, it added.

The estimate is based on high‑resolution (3 m) satellite data from the PlanetScope constellation, acquired on 26 July 2025 at 09:00 (UTC).

Also, according to data from the WorldCover programme of the European Space Agency (ESA), of the total burned area, approximately 51% consists of grasslands, 31% shrubland, 15.5% forested areas, while 1.1% corresponds to residential areas.

In addition, about 21% of the burned area falls within the Natura 2000 network, affecting important protected sites such as the Paramaliou River, the Cha‑Potami Special Protection Area, and the Limmati Valley Special Protection Area.