Forestry Department Director Savvas Iezekiel told CNA on Sunday that he is concerned about fires repeatedly breaking out in specific parts of the Paphos district, following two incidents in Lysos on Saturday. He said "something is going on" in the wider area, and that the pattern needs to be seriously investigated.
The Lysos fires
Iezekiel said two separate fires broke out in Lysos around 500 metres apart, and said he believed they had been deliberately set. Asked whether there had been developments in the investigation, he said only that "the case is under investigation," declining to comment further at this stage.
A recurring pattern
Iezekiel linked the Lysos fires to a series of fires recorded in recent years between Droushia and Prodromi, as well as in Skoulli. He described this as a "triangle" where fires occur every year, and said the recurrence needed to be explained.
He said he intends to put forward proposals for the area at meetings in the coming weeks. He also referenced arrests in an unrelated case, thanking a couple, via CNA, whose information led to the arrest of two people suspected of starting a fire in a forested area in Kornos.
Human error still a concern
Iezekiel said that despite repeated public awareness campaigns, some people continue to make serious mistakes by using spark-producing tools in violation of the law.
Current conditions
He said the Forestry Department remains on full alert due to current weather conditions. While rain in mountain areas, including Troodos, Platania, Saittas, Moniatis, Platres and towards Kakopetria, had brought milder conditions and somewhat reduced fire risk, he said prolonged temperatures of around 40°C at lower altitudes have left dry vegetation highly flammable. He warned that fire risk remains, including from "dry lightning" during thunderstorms, which can ignite fires without accompanying rainfall.
He praised visitors to forest recreation areas, saying no fires had recently been traced to picnic sites, and that forest stations continue to monitor picnic areas, campsites and nature trails.
"Once again, we urge everyone to be extremely careful," he said.
