Residents of Ayia Anna and the village of Psevdas were ordered to evacuate on Monday afternoon after a fire that broke out at the Kalo Chorio firing range spread beyond the military area.

Civil Defence spokesman Panayiotis Liasidis said some 350 residents from Ayia Anna were being transferred to a temporary shelter at the Mosfiloti community council under the ‘Icarus’ evacuation plan until authorities determine it is safe for them to return to their homes.

The fire broke out at around 12.40pm during national guard exercises at the firing range.

Authorities have extended precautionary evacuations to the neighbouring village of Psevdas.

Residents received emergency alerts on their mobile phones instructing them to leave the area, while the village church bell was rung shortly before 5pm to begin the evacuation of the community of around 1,000 people.

A coordination centre was established in Ayia Anna by the forestry department and the fire service to oversee the response.

Ambulances were stationed in the area as a precaution, while one volunteer firefighter sustained minor injuries during the operation and received medical assistance.

Firefighters are continuing to to prevent the blaze from reaching additional homes as crews battled the advancing fire front.

Fire brigade spokesman Andreas Kettis said three fire engines from the Larnaca branch were initially dispatched before being reinforced with additional crews from the forestry department.

Three aircraft have likewise been deployed to carry out water drops around the perimeter of the blaze, while the forestry department assumed operational responsibility for coordinating the response.

Police officers were also deployed to the area to assist with the emergency operation.

Ayia Anna’s Mukhtar, Anastasis Georgiou, confirmed that the fire has already damaged houses within the village while efforts to contain the fire were continuing on Monday afternoon.

The Kalo Chorio firing range has previously been the focus of military investigations after two TNT explosive charges disappeared in January during an engineer training exercise after a controlled detonation failed to ignite.

More to follow….