Forest fires rage in Cyprus for fourth day
Date: 19-Jun-00
Country: CYPRUS
Author: Michele Kambas
Waterbomb aircraft and helicopters from Israel, Greece and British military bases
on the island helped to to fight the flames that have been fanned by strong
winds.
"With the resources we now have at our disposal we should be in a position to
control the situation today," Agriculture Minister Costas Themistocleous said.
Authorities said it was impossible to give a precise assessment of the damage, or
the expanse of the area affected because many fires started at once.
The afflicted area south of the capital Nicosia and between the districts of
Limassol and Larnaca is predominantly agricultural, dotted with hamlets but far
from the island's seaside holiday resorts.
At Layia, a mountain village some 60 km (40 miles) southwest of Nicosia, hundreds
of Greek, British and Cypriot firefighters had a sleepless night trying to douse
flames racing through forests.
Blazing mountains glowed during the night as Israeli helicopters dumped water on
the flames.
Tankers loaded with water - a precious commodity during one of Cyprus's most
severe droughts in years - lined mountain roads covered in ash.
The inaccessibility of some regions hampered firefighters. Volunteers sometimes
watched helplessly as fires raged, because vehicles could not reach them or their
equipment was inadequate. Many Layia residents moved out on Thursday as fire
skirted around the village.
"The village is not at risk now. There is nothing left to burn," a resident said.
It was not known what caused the fires, though authorities say there are
suspicions they may have been set because they started at once.
But accidental fires are common on the east Mediterranean island, in particular
because some old habits die hard. As volunteers battled the flames on Friday
morning a car whizzed by. The driver flicked out a lit cigarette.
