Sabtu, 03 Juli 2021

Cyprus calls for help in fighting massive forest fire: EU and Israel responding with aircraft - Sky News

The European Union and Israel are sending help to Cyprus as the small Mediterranean island battles a huge forest fire.

The fire is raging north of the cities of Limassol and Larnaca and has affected at least six communities in the foothills of the Troodos mountain range.

The European Commission said two fire-fighting planes were heading to Cyprus from Greece, and Italy was also planning to send aerial fire-fighters.

A view of a fire in the Larnaca mountain region on Saturday, July 3, 2021. Cyprus has asked fellow European Union member states on Saturday to help battle a huge fire in a mountainous region of the east Mediterranean island nation that has forced the evacuation of at least three villages. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Image: Plumes of smoke have turned the sky black in Cyprus. Pic: AP

There are already four Cypriot planes fighting the fire, but strong winds and temperatures soaring past 40C (104F) are making conditions difficult.

Help is also expected from Israel on Sunday.

The EU's Copernicus satellite was also activated so that an assessment of the damage could made.

Cypriot forestries department director Charalambos Alexandrou told Omega TV: "It is the worst forest fire in the history of Cyprus."

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The fire's perimeter was at least 40km (25 miles), he added, and plumes of smoke could be seen from the capital Nicosia, about 45 miles away.

A helicopter flies towards the smoke over fire in the Larnaca mountain region on Saturday, July 3, 2021. Cyprus has asked fellow European Union member states on Saturday to help battle a huge fire in a mountainous region of the east Mediterranean island nation that has forced the evacuation of at least three villages. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Image: The fire is spreading through a mountain range in Cyprus. Pic: AP

Dozens of properties have been damaged and there have been widespread power cuts, but so far no injuries have been reported.

Vassos Vassiliou, a community leader in Arakapas, one of the communities affected, said: "It passed through like a whirlwind, it destroyed everything."

The focus for authorities on Saturday night was to prevent the fire from crossing the mountains and to stop it before it reaches the pine forest area of Machairas.

A helicopter flies overa forest fire, in the Larnaca mountain region, Saturday, July 3, 2021. Cyprus has asked fellow European Union nations to help battle a huge forest fire in a mountainous region of the east Mediterranean island nation that has forced the evacuation of at least three villages. Cypriot Environment Minister Costas Kadis told state broadcaster Saturdasy that the fire has claimed “huge tracts of forest” and private property near the village of Arakapas in the Troodos mountain ran
Image: Aircraft are doing the bulk of the firefighting efforts. Pic: AP

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades wrote on Twitter: "This is a very difficult day for Cyprus.

"All of the state's mechanisms are in gear, and the priority is for no loss of life."

The cause of the fire is not yet clear but police have said they are questioning a 67-year-old person in connection with the blaze.

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2021-07-03 22:52:30Z
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