‘All we see is black,’ Paphos residents mourn fire destruction (Update 3)
Source: Cyprus Mail
Firefighters were battling ‘continuous and intense’ flare-ups between the communities of Polemi and Kourdaka, fire service spokesman Andreas Kettis said on Wednesday afternoon.
The fire that broke out on Tuesday near Polemi, is estimated to have destroyed eight square kilometres of land, including houses and animal farms.
Seven aerial firefighting units, including a coordination helicopter along with ground forces were at the scene. The Ikarous II contingency plan has been activated, Kettis wrote on X.
Meanwhile, a new fire broke out on Wednesday just outside the nearby Yiolou village but was controlled before it spread into the community, the spokesman said.
In total six aircraft from Greece and Jordan assisted Cyprus’ firefighting efforts in the Ezousa valley area on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Residents of Polemi, Psathi, Lemona, Choulou and Kourtouka were evacuated on Tuesday night. Several people were taken to hospital.
The recent disaster highlighted the lack of effective preventive strategies.
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 on 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.
Authorities were also at the scene recording damage suffered by the mostly ageing residents, who are grieving what has been described by eyewitnesses as “utter devastation”.
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.
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, 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.
Testimony has been secured from an eyewitness that the fire began in an illegal rubbish dump, Logginos told the CyBC. This was later confirmed by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou.
At the height of the blaze six aircraft were deployed, said Forestry Department director Savva Iezekil. These were 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.
Around 250 ground forces and 50 service vehicles and eight farm vehicles battled to contain the fire which tore through difficult-to-access areas, necessitating the evacuation of five villages.
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.
As soon as the extreme level of danger was assessed, Logginos activated the national Pyrsos plan which requires the immediate reporting of all competent bodies and ministers to the Zenon Coordination Centre 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.
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.
At least three houses were destroyed, while several others were damaged. The fire also burned cultivations and livestock structures according to local authorities who were recording the extend of the damage on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, electricity authority crews were working to restore power in the affected communities where poles had burned down.
Kettis said although lives had been endangered, no lives were lost in the fire. 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.
The original article: belongs to Cyprus Mail .
