First Major Wildfire of the Year in Cyprus: Extreme Heatwave Sparks Devastating Forest and Bushfires
A major wildfire broke out on the slopes of the highest mountain in Cyprus on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction. Helicopters and firefighting planes were deployed to combat the flames, which have damaged homes and injured several people.
The blaze was fueled by a prolonged period of drought and temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius, turning into a large forest and bushfire on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Reports from the Cypriot Broadcasting Corporation (RIK) indicated that the fire was raging on the southern slope of the island’s highest mountain in the northeast of the city of Paphos. Four villages near the town of Polemi had to be evacuated temporarily, with three people hospitalized for respiratory issues. Numerous livestock perished in the fire.
Several barns and houses sustained damage, as local Cypriot media outlets reported. Helicopters and firefighting planes were mobilized at daybreak, with two firefighting planes from Greece joining the efforts. Four additional planes from Jordan were also dispatched to assist, according to a fire department spokesperson. Fortunately, hotels and other tourist facilities were not in the fire’s path. The fire was believed to have originated from an illegal dumpsite the previous day, as stated by President Nikos Christodoulidis on the radio.
Due to the intense heatwave, many schools in the country were closed on Wednesday, with the Ministry of Labor encouraging those who could to work from home. Delivery services were prohibited from operating between 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm, including the delivery of pizzas and other goods. Additionally, on the instructions of the Ministry of Culture, the popular tourist attraction, the Acropolis, was closed during the hottest hours of the day on Wednesday.
Warm air masses from North Africa are expected to bring temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius to Greece and Turkey until at least Friday. The peak temperatures are forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday before gradually cooling off by the weekend, as per the Greek Meteorological Service. Some rain is expected to bring relief to the western regions of Turkey during this time, as announced by the Turkish Meteorological Service.