Firefighting forces on alert in inferno zone as winds expected to pick up

As winds are expected to gradually pick up again on Friday, firefighting forces remain in place and on alert to manage the situation, after the raging wildfire that started on Wednesday swept through mountainous Limassol, wiping out villages and killing two people.

Overnight fire resurgences in Pano Kivides, Alassa, Zanakia and Omodos were immediately quenched with the “decisive contribution” of National Guard drones, Fire Service spokesman Andreas Kettis said on Friday.

He added that five firefighting aircraft have been operating in the area since the early hours of Friday morning, “carrying out perimeter drops on the fire for better demarcation or where deemed necessary following an evaluation.”

On Thursday night, the two Israeli C130 aircraft dropped retardant in the area to stabilise the demarcation.

Last night, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said the C130 drops, which were carried out after 10pm, were successful.

The planes arrived in Cyprus shortly after 9pm and began trial flights.

Panayiotou said they started dropping retardant at 10.15pm and at around 10.30pm continued with other assigned areas to protect the Troodos forest.

The minister said the planes carried out four drops before returning to Israel.

The devastation is “painful”, Environment and animal welfare commissioner Antonia Theodosiou said, referring to homes, properties, farms and land.

In a post on social media, Theodosiou said the damage cannot yet be fully assessed.

Theodosiou expressed her gratitude for efforts to save and treat all animals affected by the fire, be they pets, strays, working or wild animals.

The time will come to report any omissions, but for now the focus should be on support, solidarity and action.

The commissioner remains in contact with animal welfare organisations, particularly PAW (Protecting animals without shelter), to assist efforts.

The Pancyprian Veterinary Association has announced that veterinary clinics will be providing their services free of charge for animals from the fire zone.

Meanwhile, all roads in Limassol district are now open to traffic.

The police urged drivers to be especially careful, especially in areas that have been ravaged by the fires, where patrols will be ongoing throughout the day to provide assistance and facilitate traffic.