Fire, forests ablaze near Larnaca

[repulsewarrior]

[repulsewarrior]

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A large forest fire in Cyprus' central Troodos region was brought under control Wednesday, after forcing the evacuation of six villages, authorities said.
Interior Minister Neoklis Sylikiotis made the announcement on state RIK television but said crews would remain on alert overnight to guard against the blaze rekindling.

Ten firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and minor burns. Eight were released and two remained in hospital for observation, Kemitzi said. No other injuries were reported. The blaze broke out before dawn, and its cause was under investigation.

Earlier, the villages of Vasa, Kellaki and Sanida were evacuated as a precaution because authorities feared strong, shifting winds could push the flames in their direction, Fire Department spokeswoman Liza Kemitzi said.

The nearby villages of Klonari, Akapnou and Vikla were evacuated shortly afterward.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Cyprus | Fire Department | Nicosia
All six mountain villages are about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of the capital, Nicosia.

Police went door to door in the villages, warning residents to leave their homes as flames approached.

The fire damaged three homes in the nearby village of Ora, where residents said they were awakened before dawn by church bells warning them of approaching flames. Kemitzi said several more homes may have been damaged in other villages.

About 320 firefighters, 95 vehicles and seven water-dropping aircraft worked to extinguish the blaze, which r destroyed an estimated 10 square kilometers (3.5 square miles) of forest.

Kemitzi said two firefighting aircraft helped crews on the ground contain some of the fire fronts.

Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias has a holiday home in Kellaki, where he played host last week to Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis. He was not there Wednesday.

Cyprus is facing one of its worst droughts in years, with dam reserves nearly empty.

[Birkibrisli]

And we are still in June,RW...Manitu (or god or allah) help us come August...

[repulsewarrior]

Fire services insist they did their best
By Nassos Stylianou

THE FIRE Services yesterday denied that they could have done a better job in combating Wednesday’s massive blaze in the Larnaca and Limassol area.

In the aftermath of the catastrophic fire, local residents blamed the Fire Services for not being organised and lacking the expertise needed to combat such a major blaze.

Head of the Fire Services Andreas Nicolaou retorted yesterday by saying that people should take into account the complexity of the situation due to the conditions.

“There was a very good response and co-ordination from the services involved. Due to the state of the land and the intensity of the wind, this meant that while we thought that the fire was under control, all of a sudden another fire about 50-100 metres away had ignited. By the time we had managed to divert our attention to that spot, the fire had already spread,” he said.

“We started using the fire-fighting aeroplanes and helicopters as soon as we could, but by then the fire had spread to other areas and many fronts,” he added.

On Thursday, DISY party deputy leader Averof Neophytou criticised the lack of fire-fighting resources available to the authorities by saying that “we should not be expected to fight these major fires with water-pistols”.

The government had called on foreign aid from Greece, Lebanon and Israel in order to fight the raging inferno that burnt down 14 square kilometres of brush land, olive tree cultivations, pine trees as well as a small number of homes, most of them holiday homes, and abandoned warehouses.

The Greek authorities sent two fire-fighting aeroplanes to assist the fire-fighting effort, while Israel and Lebanon said they were not in a position to assist.

According to Thursday’s reports, arsonists were to blame for the fire as the initial reports of the blame being a result of a re-ignition of a previous fire in the area were dismissed.

Nicolaou said that the main reason pointing towards an arson attack was the fact that the fire broke out at 3am, something “that is causing a great deal of suspicion”.

Justice Minister Kypros Chrysostomides admitted that he was extremely concerned if the reports of an arson attack were verified by the ongoing investigation that being conducted by the Fire Service.

“We are obviously very worried about this, especially at a time when the conditions are as they are,” he said.

The Fire Services remained on standby on Thursday and most of yesterday in the area to protect against any possible resurgence of the fire that affected the villages of Ora, Akapnou, Vasa, Kelaki, Sanida and Klonari.

Wednesday’s fire affected a greater area than last summer’s devastating blaze that burnt down some 12 square kilometres of the Saittas forest and with it a number of residences.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

[repulsewarrior]

[repulsewarrior]

Two held over fire that killed police officer
By Jacqueline Theodoulou

TWO MEN were yesterday arrested and remanded in custody on suspicion of causing death by criminal negligence, after a young man died in a blaze on Sunday.

Twenty-four-year-old policeman Stelios Koulentis was killed after becoming trapped in a fire that broke out in the Kalliana-Sina Oros mountain area.

The men are accused of negligence. Sparks released as they were cutting iron are believed to have started the fire, which also injured three other people.

Koulentis and his father had been trying to save machinery belonging to the family before the blaze reached Sina Oros.

However, the strong winds brought the fire to the village much faster than the two men had anticipated.

Once father and son realised the danger they were in, they decided to run from the fire. Stelios was in fact first to climb over a fence and offered his father a helping hand.

According to information from police yesterday, the 24-year-old got lost on his way out and at some point lost consciousness, without his father realising.

The rapidly spreading fire engulfed the man in flames and he was killed.

Realising his son was lost, Stelios’ father tried to find him, but to no avail. He went to seek help but it was too late.

The father was later heard crying: “I thought he was in front of me”, over and over again.

According to witness reports, the flames were too big and severe for anyone to enter the fire and find Koulentis.

The victim was the nephew of former Police Chief Charalambos Koulentis.

A Nicosia court yesterday ordered a four-day remand for the two suspects, a 34-year-old and 61-year-old from Sina Oros.

According to the CyBC yesterday, one of the two suspects had been questioned by police in a similar incident in the past. He is said to have abandoned the scene of fire and hidden his electric wielding machine.

The fire, which broke out on Sunday morning and was brought under control at around 4 pm, destroyed 10 hectares of trees and wild growth, while a nearby supermarket also suffered damage.

The police force yesterday expressed its sorrow at the death.



Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

[repulsewarrior]

Firefighters face new blaze in west Cyprus

By Andy Ioannou 04.JUL.08
A large-scale fire is raging on the outskirts of Limassol, with latest reports saying that a number of homes are under threat from the blaze.

Eleven firefighting vehicles are on the scene, with four emergency helicopters dropping water on the fire.

Men from the British Forces Emergency Services, Cyprus Fire Department and the Forestry Services are all fighting the flames.

By 5pm this afternoon, the blaze had destroyed a wide expanse of dry vegetation as well as a number of pine trees.

Fire services are on full alert in all forest areas after several weeks of blazes which have left nearly 50 square kilometres of land scorched.

With temperatures hitting 38C in the midlands, there is an increased hazard of forest fires in all areas of Cyprus.
- Copyright © Famagusta Gazette 2008

[repulsewarrior]

[repulsewarrior]

[repulsewarrior]

Three remanded in connection with Cyprus fire