Ipsonas fire under control

A fire that broke out in Limassol’s Ipsonas area on Wednesday afternoon was brought under control two hours later, the fire service reported.

According to fire service spokesman Andreas Kettis, the fire burned around 10 hectares of dry grass and vegetation, rubbish and abandoned vehicles, also reaching a warehouse where car parts were kept.

Other nearby factories and homes were not affected.

Kettis said that in total, ten fire trucks were sent from Limassol fire stations to extinguish the fire, with help from the civil defence and the municipality of Ipsonas.

Earlier he tweeted that help also came from the nearby British bases while the forestry department sent two of its planes and two helicopters.

“Firefighters will remain at the scene to put out the last of the flames,” he said.

The forestry department on Monday had issued a warning about the strong winds forecast for this week, calling on the public to be extra careful since the winds can aggravate fires and make extinguishing them difficult.