Thursday morning’s flare up of the Miliou fire is being contained, while police are investigating the cause of the fire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon between Miliou, Yiolou and Simou in the Paphos district.

Fire Department spokesman Andreas Kettis said the flare up, which has already burned 50 hectares of wild vegetation, was handled by aircraft operating to put the fire out since yesterday.

Two planes and two helicopters dealt with the flare up before it spread.

Miliou community leader Eva Chrysanthou said the fire “spread rapidly” and damaged olive groves and citrus orchards, as well as burning wild vegetation and trees.

Two houses on the outskirts of Yiolou were also threatened by the fire.

The Civil Defence was on standby on Wednesday in case communities needed to be evacuated.

Two houses were evacuated for precautionary reasons.

Chrysanthou said Miliou was just a short distance away from Evretou dam and noted that if the firefighting aircraft had come in time, the disaster may have been avoided.

“All we are left with is blackness,” she said.

Residents helped in any way they could and during the night provided firefighters with water.

The battle against the fire continued through the night and aircraft rejoined the fight at 5.30am on Thursday, she said.

So far, police have not managed to obtain witness statements to determine how the fire started.

Firefighters were working all night to put out the fire and two aircraft rejoined the fight at dawn.

Paphos police’s Michalis Nicolaou said it appears to have started from the roadside between Yiolou and Polis Chrysochous.

The fire then spread to Simou and was put under control on Wednesday evening, Fire Department spokesman Andreas Kettis said.

On Wednesday, five planes, a helicopter and dozens of firetrucks from the Fire Department and Forestry Department were in the fight to put out the fire.