Four aircraft battle wildfire near Tala in Cyprus's Paphos district
Strong winds hampered firefighters as four aircraft and ground crews battled a blaze near Tala in Paphos, Cyprus, on Thursday.
A forest fire broke out in the Vatouthkia area near Tala, in Cyprus's Paphos district, shortly after 13:00 local time on Thursday, the forestry department said. Four aircraft and several fire engines were quickly sent to tackle the blaze as strong winds complicated efforts to bring it under control on the ground.
The fire was burning dry grass and low wild vegetation in difficult terrain, Cyprus Mail reported. Four fire engines from Paphos fire stations and a forestry department bulldozer were deployed alongside the aircraft, which carried out repeated water drops over the burning area as crews worked to stop the flames spreading further into the surrounding countryside and nearby farmland in the hours that followed.
The blaze was brought under full control by 14:35, after burning about three hectares of wild vegetation, the forestry department said. Authorities reinforced ground crews as the wind continued to hamper firefighting through the afternoon, and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by the relevant department, officials said.
A separate, smaller fire broke out the same afternoon west of Mitsero in the Nicosia district, in an area known as Kokkinopezoula. It was spotted by the Koroni fire lookout at around 2.15pm local time and brought under control by about 2.45pm, after burning around one decare of wild grass, the forestry department said. Two forestry department engines and two fire service engines, staffed by a total of ten personnel between them, responded quickly to that second, smaller blaze.
Cyprus has endured a difficult wildfire season this year, with authorities repeatedly deploying aerial resources to contain blazes before they can spread in the island's hot, windy autumn conditions. Both of Thursday's fires were brought under control within a few hours of breaking out, and no injuries or damage to property were reported from either incident by the authorities involved in the response efforts that afternoon.
What we know
- A wildfire broke out near Tala in Cyprus's Paphos district shortly after 13:00 on Thursday.
- Four aircraft and several fire engines tackled the blaze as strong winds hampered efforts.
- The fire was brought under full control by 14:35, after burning about three hectares.
- A separate, smaller fire near Mitsero in the Nicosia district was controlled within half an hour the same afternoon.
Why it matters for Europe
Cyprus has faced repeated wildfires this year, and the deployment of four aircraft alongside ground crews for a three-hectare fire shows how seriously authorities are treating fire risk in windy conditions, even for blazes that are contained quickly before spreading to homes or farmland nearby in the district.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Philenews: Πυρκαγιά ξέσπασε στην επαρχία Πάφου – Στη μάχη τέσσερα πτητικά μέσα
- AlphaNews.Live: Μεγάλη πυρκαγιά στην επαρχία Πάφου: Στη μάχη και πτητικά μέσα, δυνατοί άνεμοι στην περιοχή
- In-Cyprus: Fire near Tala as strong winds hamper efforts
- In-Cyprus: Paphos fire put out before spreading (File photo)
- Cyprus Mail: Aircraft battle fire near Tala
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Questions and answers
- Where did the fire break out?
- In the Vatouthkia area near the village of Tala, in Cyprus's Paphos district.
- How was it fought?
- Four aircraft carried out repeated water drops while several fire engines and a forestry department bulldozer tackled the blaze on the ground, despite strong winds.
- Was there a second fire that day?
- Yes, a smaller fire near Mitsero in the Nicosia district was brought under control within half an hour the same afternoon.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.