A coordinated forest fire response exercise will take place over the Troodos village of Kapedes tomorrow between 11.00am and 12.00pm, with aircraft and ground units taking part in a planned operational drill.

The forestry department said the exercise, named ‘Ifestos’ after the ancient Greek god of fire, will be conducted in as part of national preparedness planning.

In its announcement, the department stated that the aim is “to test the effectiveness of ‘Ifestos’ for suppressing a large forest fire” and to improve coordination between services involved in wildfire response.

The drill will include fire engines, personnel transport vehicles, water tankers, ambulances and aerial firefighting units, alongside staff from the fire brigade and volunteer groups.

Authorities said the exercise is intended to strengthen operational readiness and improve interagency cooperation in handling large scale wildfire incidents.

The forestry department also stressed that the activity is a scheduled simulation and said there is “absolutely no reason for concern for the public” during the exercise period.