The police and fire brigade joined forces yesterday to launch a fire prevention campaign targeting the countryside and forests in particular.
Every fire will be assumed arson until proven otherwise, police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos warned.
He said the “deeper causes” of fires will be investigated to establish whether they were started intentionally or by neglect, Katsounotos added.
Lighting a fire within the radius of one kilometre of forest areas is strictly prohibited, he said, and those within that range must take care not to cause a fire through carelessness. This includes tossing a match, a lit cigarette butt or using flammable objects.
In the countryside, the punishment is also strict for leaving an open fire unattended, carelessly causing one, or acting in a way that could potentially cause a fire.
Causing a forest fire is punishable with a maximum of five years imprisonment and/or a €8,543 fine; in the countryside the penalty is up to three years imprisonment and/or up to €8,543.
In all public spaces in built up areas throwing, leaving behind or even allowing others to throw out their cigarette butts, matches, lighters or burning coals (in the case of a barbeque, for example) are all illegal.
The law provides for a maximum imprisonment of one and/or a maximum fine of €3,000.
Members of the public can call anonymously on 1407 for the Forestry Department, 1460 for the citizen’s line and take care to gather as much information as they can on any suspicious goings-on.
“Penalties do not return the forest and vegetation to its previous condition, which is why we invest in prevention,” Katsounotos said.
Meanwhile, the Fire Brigade was busy putting out 23 fires and answering 15 separate calls yesterday alone.
On Saturday afternoon, six fire brigade vehicles managed to control a crop fire in Kornos village in the Kampies area near Kofinou.
Another fire yesterday at a livestock farm in Yeri, Nicosia was mostly put under control by 3pm but it has been eating away about 400 hay rolls in a fenced-off part of the farm.
The Fire Brigade are investigating both cases.
