By Andrew Adamides
AS THE last smouldering pockets of the fire which ravaged Episkopi were dealt with yesterday, the British bases were counting the cost of the disaster which has left 14 families homeless and caused damage estimated at around £2 million.
Among the 14 homes in Paramali village completely gutted by the fire was Air House, the residence of Major-General Angus Ramsay, Commander of the British forces in Cyprus. Once a colonial villa with a rolling lawn at the back, Air House is now just a blackened shell, the roof and upper floor having caved in.
Speaking to Reuters yesterday, Major-General Ramsay said the effects of the fire were “devastating”, but pointed out that those made homeless “still have their lives, they still have their families”.
Of his own predicament, he added: “I have lost everything I own. The house is a write-off.”
Because of the early evacuation of North and South Paramali, both of which were emptied soon after news of the fire broke, casualties were minimal. Of the 600 soldiers, airmen and firemen who fought the flames, four British soldiers were slightly injured. Three suffered from smoke inhalation, and the fourth was affected by heat stress.
Those evacuated from their homes were mostly women and children, as all available service personnel were helping fight the fire. In all, 328 married quarters were evacuated, and a total of between 700 and 800 people were moved to nearby Kensington, out of the way of the advancing flames.
The speed with which residents were forced to flee was evidenced by the piles of belongings still sitting on the pavement outside undamaged houses yesterday. Their owners had planned to load them into cars, but when the fire approached, were forced to abandon them.
Winds blowing in from the sea at between 23 and 28 knots meant that the fire spread quickly. Thirty-foot flames left an area of three square kilometres a charred wasteland.
The fire was brought under control late on Monday night, and finally contained yesterday morning.
In addition to the houses razed by the fire, cabling, water pipes, vehicles and greenery were also destroyed: the blackened remains of a new Rover convertible sit near the entrance to Paramali, while the devastation of the countryside is evident from farther away: the first view of the blackened slopes comes on the Happy Valley road, at least a mile away from Paramali.
The bases authorities say those families made homeless will have the option of returning to the UK, but in the meantime they will stay either at hotels or with friends. Normal bases operations were not disrupted by the fire, and no military equipment was damaged. Some minor explosions were reported, but it is thought that these were caused by household gas cylinders.
Of the two helicopters used to fight the blaze, the observation Gazelle was still patrolling yesterday in case of further outbreaks. Bases spokesman Mervyn Wynne-Jones said the assistance provided by the Republic had been excellent, with aid coming in the form of both fire-fighting equipment and food and water.
Now the clean-up operation has begun, and although the fire may only have burned for 12 hours, the devastation it caused will take a lot longer to repair.
