Busy weekend for fire services

THE FIRE Service was kept busy over the August 15 weekend having responded to just under 200 emergencies.

Fire Service spokeswoman Liza Kemidji said between August 13 and 15 the Fire Service put out 94 fires. Among others the afflicted areas included the village of Mammari adjacent to the buffer zone and the old Nicosia airport in the buffer zone. A fire also broke out in Kokkinotrimithia which destroyed six hectares of land and likely started from a rubbish pile, she said.

Small fires also had to be put out in homes and other premises caused mainly by electrical short circuits and cooking accidents such as forgotten pots on the stove, said Kemidji. Thankfully none of these fires caused extensive damage to the properties, she added.

The spokeswoman said the public had responded to the Fire Service’s appeals for caution in the countryside and that there had been no outbreaks due to people’s activities. Over the August 15 holiday large numbers of people take to the countryside to cook ‘souvla’ on the spit which can pose a fire threat if adequate care is not taken.

Kemidji said where more awareness was needed regarded switching electrical devices off while people were out of their homes, other than the fridge which had to be kept on.

Over the same three day period the Fire Service also responded to 100 special services which included people trapped in lifts and road accidents, she said.

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