Fire services kept busy by forest blazes

TWENTY firemen were kept busy yesterday at Xylia forest in Kornos, Larnaca taming a fire which put the forest under real danger due to its vicinity to the trees.

The fire broke out at 1:20pm on public land with dry vegetation and the odd pine tree, destroying one hectare before it was tamed by the fire brigade along with EMAK, its special unit dealing with catastrophes. Six fire trucks were used.

A second fire threatened another forest yesterday when a blaze broke out around noon on the outskirts of Kofinarka forest in Aradippou, Larnaca.

The fire was put under full control in just 20 minutes but not before it ate away four hectares of reeds and three balls of hay.

Eight men and three fire trucks were used.

According to the forestry department, the main causes of forest fires between 2001 and 2010 are farming activities (24 per cent), the public visiting forest areas (16 per cent), arson (15 per cent) and natural causes such as lightning (12 per cent). Other causes include burning rubbish, military activities and the short circuiting of high voltage cables.

According to Fire Services spokesman, Leonidas Leonidou, nine out of ten fires are down to human factors.

Fires appear to be on the rise with 5,716 fires in 2009, out of which 3,141 of them were in rural areas, and 7,160 in 2010, out of which 4,588 were in rural areas. This year there have been 2,327 fires from January to May, with 1,142 of them in rural areas.

 

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