A combine harvester parked in a field in Sia, in the Nicosia district, caught fire ten minutes after midnight on Thursday.

The fire in Sia’s ‘Petrokolymbia’ area was brought under control half an hour later, with firefighters preventing it spreading to nearby vegetation.

This is the third fire in the area in three days.

On Tuesday, another fire broke out in Mathiatis, the village after Sia, again in the early hours.

The fire in ‘Pervolia’ area, on the road from Mathiatis to Lythrodontas, started at five minutes after midnight and was contained by 1.30am, after burning around a hectare of reeds and wild vegetation.

A total of ten firefighters and four fire engines from the fire brigade and forestry department operated to extinguish the fire.

The authorities are investigating the cause of both fires.

On Wednesday, a fire broke out at 2.30pm in ‘Karaves’ area in Sia, on the road to Mathiatis, and was contained at 3.10 after burning three hectares of pine trees and wild vegetation.

The forestry department responded with 35 firefighters and seven fire engines, one water tanker and two earth shifters, as well as the fire brigade with four firefighters and two fire engines. Volunteers also joined the effort to put out the fire with three tractors and two excavators.

The fire began from an oven. The offender admitted starting the fire and will be prosecuted.