Civil Protection Department 'on alert' for possible wildfires

The Civil Protection Department (CPD) is on alert for the possibility of wildfires developing across the islands, as dry weather and strong winds are forecast to hit Malta in the coming days. 

In the Mediterranean, Rhodes is struggling with its own wildfires, while residents in Corfu and Evia are also the subject of evacuation orders due to raging fires.

Speaking to MaltaToday, CPD Director General, Peter Paul Coleiro urged the public to be responsible at all times, stressing that one should refrain from throwing away cigarette butts and glass outside, while he urged caution when going to barbeques in the countryside.

"Climate change does not bring about fires, but it definitely facilitates them," he said, assuring the public that the CPD is ready for the possibility of fast-moving fires in the countryside.

Coleiro explained that the department has strategies in place to reach fires in difficult places such as valleys while reassuring the public that, unlike other Mediterranean islands, Malta has an advantage in that most places are easily accessible to the CPD.

Nonetheless, the CPD chief encouraged the public to always stay cautious, as even the slightest action can be disastrous for the countryside.