Cyprus extinguishes wildfire and heat wave hitting island

Cypriot firefighters managed to extinguish a fire that consumed around 20 hectares of forests amid one of the island's longest heat waves, authorities announced on Tuesday.

This was the worst fire Cyprus faced this summer, with temperatures remaining at or above 40 degrees Celsius since July 12th.

Data from the Meteorological Office indicated that this heat wave might be the longest in the modern history of the island, with temperatures expected to stay above 40 degrees Celsius throughout the week.

George Konstantinou, the Forest Department official, stated that the fire broke out on Monday evening in the remote and uninhabited Elitzis area of the island's central mountainous region. It was brought under control after efforts that lasted throughout the night.

Over a hundred firefighters, dozens of vehicles, and seven aircraft were deployed to prevent the fire from spreading to the Paphos forest, which includes some of the island's largest cedar trees, as well as pine and oak trees.

A nearby Royal Air Force base was placed on standby to provide assistance, as is customary during major wildfires.

Fortunately, there were no cases of ignition due to the lack of winds, as mentioned by Konstantinou.

Charalambos Alexandrou, the head of the Forest Department, indicated that it is suspected that one of the high-voltage power cables was the source of the fire.

During the prolonged heat wave that struck the island, there was an increased demand for energy, reaching record levels.

One person died due to heatstroke.

The heat wave is also affecting Greece and most parts of Southern Europe and North Africa.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group stated on Tuesday that the heat waves that hit parts of Europe and North America this month would not have occurred without the human-caused climate change.



AFP