From the BBC:
“Cyprus: Nations send help for
worst wildfire in decades”
(A child in Ora village, near
Larnaca, looks as smoke rises from a wildfire. Photo: 3 July 2021)
Several nations have sent
firefighting aircraft to help Cyprus tackle a huge wildfire described by
officials as the worst in the country's history. Greece, Italy and Israel have
pledged help, and British troops stationed on the island are already involved. The
blaze, fanned by strong winds, is spreading through the southern Limassol
district and has forced the evacuation of several villages. On Sunday, four
people were confirmed to have died in the fire. The victims are believed to be
Egyptian farm workers reported missing after their car was destroyed by the
blaze. Local media said their bodies were found about 400m from their burnt-out
vehicle near the village of Odos. Interior minister Nicos Nouris told reporters
on Sunday: "All the indications support the fact that these are the four
missing persons we have been searching for since yesterday."
President Nicos Anastasiades
described the fire - in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains - as "a
tragedy". In a tweet, he said it was "the largest fire since
1974" - referring to the year Cyprus was divided following a Turkish
invasion - and had caused loss of life. He pledged that the government would
"provide immediate assistance to the victims" and their families. Mr
Anastasiades visited a relief centre in the village of Vavatsinia on Sunday
morning, before travelling on to other affected areas. Meanwhile, police have
arrested a 67-year-old man on suspicion of arson. A witness saw a man driving
away from the village of Arakapas, north-east of Limassol, at the same time the
fire started on Saturday, police said.
Cyprus has been experiencing a
week-long heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 40C (104F). Experts say
that climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme weather
events, such as heatwaves. However, linking any single event to global warming
is complicated. Vassos Vassiliou, a community leader in Arakapas, said the
blaze had "passed through like a whirlwind" and "destroyed
everything". Firefighters are racing to prevent it from spreading to the
Machairas National Forest Park. "It is the worst forest fire in the
history of Cyprus," Director of the Department of Forests Charalambos
Alexandrou told local television.
The European Commission's head of
crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said a co-ordinated response was under way.
The EU's emergency Copernicus satellite is tracking the blaze, the commission
said. Israel's firefighting authority said its planes were due to land in
Larnaca, and they would then join other international crews in tackling the
blaze. Several aircraft are already tackling the flames, assisted by British
troops stationed on the island. The British Royal Air Force, which has a base
at Akrotiri near Limassol, tweeted images of its helicopters taking part in the
effort. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Republic of Cyprus as we
work together to overcome this tragedy," said the commander of British
Forces Cyprus, Maj Gen Rob Thomson.
^ I have friends near this in
Cyprus. They are fine for now, but keeping an eye on the wildfire. ^
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