Fire service spokesperson Andreas Kettis on Wednesday said that the three fires that had been extinguished in the Paphos district between Akoudralia and Steni “present common traits indicating malicious actions and possibly arson.”

In order to extinguish the fires, which were moving towards Akourdalia village, the entire fire department of the Paphos district was mobilised and several aircraft were deployed.

A total of 19 vehicles, from the fire, forestry and the game service, and including private trucks were used. Forces from Larnaca were called in meanwhile to cover Paphos, Kettis told the state broadcaster CyBC.

Five homes in Kato Akourdalia were evacuated as a precaution and forces remain at the scene to extinguish any flare-ups.

The fires burned through a total area of about 12 hectares of dry grasses, wild vegetation, sedges and trees.

Kettis called on potential witnesses to contact the fire service in order to locate the people responsible for the fires.

The forestry department also announced that a fire which broke out shortly before 10am on the borders Ayios Demetrianos and Milia in Paphos was under control by 10.25.

Fire forces intervened rapidly before the fire spread, burning an area of 2,000m2 covered with scrub and low wild vegetation.

Sixteen personnel from the forestry department with two fire trucks, four from the fire service with two fire trucks, and an agricultural tractor were used to extinguish the blaze.

“We are battling fires on a 24-hour basis,” said Kettis, “This is an unprecedented situation.”

Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, around 10am a fire broke out in the community of Gialia. The fire, which was extinguished by shortly after 11am, burned 2 hectares of private land with greenhouses and fruit trees.

Forty employees from the forestry department, nine from the fire service, and three from the game service worked to put out the blaze with over ten vehicles.