Firefighters are battling flare-ups on two active fronts on Wednesday in Polemi and between the villages of Choulou and Ayios Photios in Paphos, with concerns that if not brought under control the fire could spread into the forest.
Six aircraft are currently deployed, Forestry Department Director Savva Iezekil told the Cyprus News. These are three planes managed by the forestry department -one owned by the ROC and two Australian crafts on lease, a Jordanian helicopter which had been stationed in Cyprus, and the two Canadairs which arrived earlier from Greece.
A lack of effective preventive strategies has been highlighted by this latest fire which has wreaked personal as well as environmental havoc since Tuesday in the normally lush area of the Ezousa valley.
Authorities have pointed out that dry wild vegetation surrounding homes was a major factor in their endangerment, as well as illegal rubbish dumps, pervasive throughout the island.
Newly elected Paphos District Governor Charalambos Pittokopitis, who was at the scene from the start, vowed to establish “green points” throughout the district as well as mobile waste disposal units in rural areas.
For his part, Paphos MP Chrysanthos Savvides pegged the fire-risk to urban flight, and said the problem only faces exacerbation unless serious action is taken to facilitate agricultural endeavours and restore the numbers of permanent residents in such communities.
Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou is expected to imminently arrive at the scene to record damages suffered by the mostly aging residents, who are grieving what has been described by eyewitnesses as “utter devastation.”
Around 250 ground forces, 50 service vehicles and eight farm vehicles, supported by aerial means, have battled to contain the fire which tore through difficult-to-access areas, necessitating the evacuation of five villages.
Distraught residents complained about the limited number of aircraft at the ready on Tuesday, which they claim could have stopped the fire at its source, and accused authorities of a tardy response, however, Chief Fire Officer Nikos Logginos has contested these sentiments.
Meanwhile, two Greek Canadairs touched down in Paphos and an additional two aircraft from the Royal Jordanian Airforce, requested by President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday, are expected to arrive in the course of the day.
Services are counting on the specialised Canadairs to make the critical difference in the firefighting effort, since they are versatile, easier to deploy and more effective than other means, fire service spokesman Andreas Kettis said.
According to Kettis, the fire’s perimeter has been secured around the villages, and now rages through a wild area of steep inclines and an extremely tough terrain for ground forces to manage.
The two Jordanian Air Tractors are expected to arrive in Larnaca, Kettis detailed to state broadcaster CyBC.
Four aircraft, theoretically at the state’s disposal, had not been deployed for safety reasons, Kettis said. This includes two Egyptian MI55’s and two Argentinian craft.
Minister of Justice Marios Hartsiotis speaking late at night on Tuesday from the emergency coordination centre set up in Ayios Dimitrianos said the situation was greatly improved compared to earlier, though not yet under complete control.
Firefighting craft began water drops at 6.30am on Wednesday, although they had been ready since 5.30am, however, fog conditions did not permit their deployment sooner, Chief Fire Officer Nikos Logginos said, with residents anxiously watching the skies in anticipation since dawn.
“Everything is black in the village, where there used to be greenery all around now all we see is black,” Psathi community leader Michalis Kyriakou told state broadcaster CyBC.
“Nothing is left, the fire flew like a cyclone through the village and around it,” he said.
Smoke from the blaze was still visible on Wednesday morning as far as Paphos and mountain communities over 15 kms away.
Residents of Polemi, Psathi, Lemona, Choulou and Kourtouka were evacuated, and other communities are in a state of alert in case the fire spreads.
Testimony has been secured from an eyewitness that the fire began in an illegal rubbish dump, Logginos told the CyBC.
As soon as the extreme level of danger was assessed, he activated the national Pyrsos plan which requires the immediate reporting of all competent bodies and ministers to the Zenon Coordination Center in Larnaca, Logginos said.
This is done so that there can be an absolute coordination, domestically as well as internationally, during the initial crisis stage. Being at the local coordination site is of no use at that specific critical junction, he said, countering remarks made on Tuesday by Pittokopitis who questioned why others were in Larnaca and not onsite.
The fire which was sparked in a hard-to-access location around 3km from Polemi was initially spotted by an aerial patrol craft which immediately attempted a limited water drop, but the blaze subsequently tore through the gorge creating a “chimney effect”, the fire chief said.
Three summer houses were completely destroyed, while six other homes suffered damages, as did cultivations and livestock structures.
Electricity has been restored in parts of Psathi and other communities after poles had burned down and wires fallen to the ground and electricity authority crews are working on repairs.
Five aerial craft had been deployed on Tuesday afternoon when the fire broke out and the 250-strong ground forces comprised of firefighters, civil defence volunteers, local farmers and residents battled throughout the night to save what they could.
Kettis said although lives had been endangered, no lives were lost. Ten people needed to be cared for at Paphos general hospital for respiratory impacts caused by smoke inhalation and only light injuries have been recorded.
(cyprusmail)
