Firefighters face deadly danger from unexploded shell in Agia Anna fire as anger mounts

Local fireLarnacaparliamentTop News Firefighters faced deadly danger from unexploded shell in Agia Anna fire as anger mounts Firefighters Face Deadly Danger From Unexploded Shell In Agia Anna Fire As Anger Mounts Relevant News Firefighters faced deadly danger from unexploded shell in Agia Anna fire as anger mounts 28 August 2026 Scientific committee proposes €611 million, 12-year plan to rebuild livestock sector 28 August 2026 Why more Italians are choosing Cyprus — and the numbers behind the trend 28 August 2026 Natasa Christoforou 28 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Firefighting teams faced deadly danger on Wednesday after finding an unexploded mortar shell during a new fire in Agia Anna, exactly one month after the Kalo Chorio firing range caused a major blaze in Agia Anna and Psevdas that raised safety concerns about its operation. The shell was found near farmland and the Tremithos River, at a spot the National Guard says lies within the range’s boundaries. Its discovery put police on alert too, and officers guarded the site to keep people away. National Guard bomb disposal experts confirmed the following morning that the object was an unexploded 81mm illumination mortar round. During the operation to neutralise it, they found a second shell nearby, which was later confirmed to contain no explosive material. Defence Ministry spokesperson Sofianos Filippidis told philenews that a bomb disposal team cordoned off and secured the area before destroying the shell. Department of Forests crews were on standby and, working with the Fire Service and five aircraft, brought the fire under control by the following afternoon. It appears to have started accidentally on the riverbed near Achnarka forest. The incident has stoked fresh anger among residents, who had already asked the Defence Minister to close the firing range at a meeting shortly after the July fire. Agia Anna community leader Anastasis Georgiou told philenews that a new meeting with Vasilis Palmas is planned for mid-September, at which residents will request a roadmap for closing the range. Georgiou said mobilisation action remains on the table, depending on what the Defence Minister announces at that meeting. “We urgently demand that the firing range close,” he said, thanking the firefighting crews who stopped Wednesday’s fire from reaching the forest. MPs react DISY MP Giorgos Karoullas called for all exercises at the range to be suspended and for a parallel operation to locate every unexploded shell. In a social media post, he said the discovery of an unexploded shell was an extremely serious matter that left no room for complacency. He said protecting human life, the natural environment and property must be non-negotiable, and that the state should use every technology available, including advanced detection, mapping and munitions-clearance confirmation systems, to ensure no unexploded ordnance remains after each exercise. Karoullas also said immediate suspension of all exercises at the range should be considered until a full inspection and clearance of unexploded ordnance is completed and all safety issues are addressed. “Safety cannot depend on luck,” he said, adding that the matter should go before the House Defence Committee. AKEL MP Andreas Pasiourtidis said his party’s position is that the Kalo Chorio range should close. He said the range’s continued presence in the area clearly still creates risks, pointing to the discovery of another unexploded shell as a clear example, and noted that farmers are active within the range’s boundaries. He said it was obvious the risks from the range’s continued presence were multiple and that this had now been proven in practice, adding that it could not continue operating there. Read more: Forest recovery from fire can take decades, even centuries, forestry official says Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Scientific committee proposes €611 million, 12-year plan to rebuild livestock sector Why more Italians are choosing Cyprus — and the numbers behind the trend Binge it or skip it: This Is a Gardening Show – Galifianakis makes gardening cool Where to eat and drink this weekend: spritz, Locatelli and kerpasto Cyprus to introduce digital driving licences under new EU rules Things to do on Friday, August 28 Mostly clear Friday before storms and hail arrive over the weekend Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.