After hours of battling the flames, the wildfire in Paphos district that broke out early Wednesday afternoon near the Ayia Marinouda landfill was brought under control at 23:38, according to a post on X by Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis.
Mr Kettis stated that strong firefighting forces remained in the area overnight to complete extinguishing operations and remain on alert.
Ground and aerial firefighting teams responded to the blaze, which had spread rapidly due to strong winds in the area.
Specifically, nine fire trucks were deployed, along with two Forestry Department vehicles and five bulldozers. The District Administration provided two water tankers, the Game and Fauna Service contributed a mobile firefighting unit, and Civil Defence also deployed a mobile unit. Two firefighting helicopters were involved in aerial operations.
The fire left ten Paphos communities without electricity for several hours, according to Cyprus Electricity Authority spokesperson Christina Papadopoulou. The power outage was caused by burnt utility poles and transformers.
The blaze, which began near the Ayia Marinouda landfill, spread toward the community of Ayia Varvara and into the triangle of Ayia Varvara, Nata, and Episkopi. By 22:00 on Wednesday evening, it had been limited to a difficult-to-access area along the Ezousa riverbed near Ayia Varvara, Mr Kettis said.
Local residents also assisted in firefighting efforts. Some accused irresponsible individuals of illegally dumping and burning items such as furniture, mattresses, and pruning waste at the Ayia Marinouda landfill, calling the practice criminal.
Speaking to CNA, Senior Game and Fauna Service Officer Nikos Kassinis described the blaze as a major environmental disaster.
He noted that the affected area is one of natural beauty, home to agricultural lands and the Ezousa River, which forms part of the Natura 2000 network.
The cause of the fire will be investigated at a later stage.
Also read: Precautionary evacuation of area in Ypsonas by Kourion Municipality
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