Man starting fire in fields

A 47-YEAR-old man from Kritou Marotou village has been arrested, on suspicion of setting a fire in his field that burned out of control into a major shrub fire.

The blaze ended up destroying more than 40 hectares of land between Kritou Marotou and Anathiou, close to Panayia.

The fire, which started at 5pm on Wednesday, was extinguished two hours later, but had already burnt farmed wheat and shrub land.

It took 15 fire fighters and 35 forestry department firemen using three water-carrying helicopters, one plane, 15 fire engines and four crawler tractors, to bring the inferno under control. Initial reports suggest the culprit may have been committing the illegal practice of field burning, when the blaze got out of control.

Field burning accounts for 20 per cent of fires in Cyprus. The practice has been outlawed, but farmers and villagers in some areas persist on setting fires, which are often responsible for destroying much of the countryside.

Forest law prohibits lighting any fires to clear land, with a penalty of up to five years in prison and/or a maximum fine of €8,500.

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