Limassol fire under control; firefighters vigilant (Update 2)

By Nikolaos Prakas and Elias Hazou

A fire in Ayios Sylas, Limassol, appeared to be under control late on Thursday, after a massive day-long effort by firefighters to extinguish it.

By nightfall, the blaze had burned about six square kilometres of shrubland.

Firefighters on the ground would remain on standby throughout the night, watching the perimeter, said fire service spokesman Andreas Kettis.

At first light on Friday, water drops from the air would resume. As strong winds are also forecast for Friday, authorities were concerned about a possible flare-up.

According to earlier information in the afternoon, the blaze was headed toward the Alassa dam. Authorities had evacuated the industrial zone of Ayios Sylas as a precaution.

In regular updates on X (formerly Twitter), Kettis said a total of 24 fire engines were deployed on the ground, while water drops from the air involved one airplane (of the Department of Forests), plus a helicopter of the National Guard and two helicopters of the British Bases. At least one ambulance was on standby, although no injuries were reported.

The civil defence as well as individuals from a number of volunteer groups and NGOs were also providing assistance. Bulldozers on the scene were busy creating firebreaks.

Strong winds exacerbated the situation throughout the day, causing the fire to spread rapidly. The blaze broke out at around 11am in an area of wild vegetation.

Some minor damage was reported to farming units.

As sundown drew near, the municipality of Ypsonas assisted in the firefighting efforts by clearing paths in the inaccessible terrain for fire engines to access.

According to the local correspondent for Politis newspaper, the two Jordanian helicopters and their crews – recently arrived on the island – were not deployed as they were not ready for operations yet. They would be ready as of next week.