Kofinou police are continuing their investigation into why two Brazilian nationals, a man and a woman, lit fireworks in a forest area of Kornos on Sunday afternoon, sparking a fire. The pair, aged 26 and 28, live and work at the same company in Limassol and are due before the Larnaca District Court today for a remand order.
They face charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, arson in a forest, attempted arson, reckless and negligent acts, unlawful possession and use of explosive substances, and offences under the Forests Law.
According to philenews information, the 26-year-old told police verbally that he is friends with the 28-year-old and that they bought the fireworks from a local kiosk, which will now be examined.
He did not, however, give an adequate explanation for their presence in the area. Investigators are examining both suspects’ mobile phones to establish who they have been in contact with recently. Preliminary findings indicate the pair lit a ground firework, a type that is placed and activated on the ground, at the roadside.
The fire was first spotted by a woman and her partner passing through the area at 7pm on Sunday. Acting on the car’s registration number, police arrested the 26-year-old yesterday afternoon, followed by the 28-year-old a few hours later.
The incident was first made public by the General Fire Coordinator, Chief Fire Officer Nikos Longinos, who said a female driver had spotted a person setting fire to grass with a firework before leaving by car, which she photographed.
“The forest would have been in danger”
The incident caused serious alarm in the area. Kornos deputy mayor Stavros Evangelou said the forest would have been in danger had the woman and her partner not passed through the area in time.
He noted the area is a pine forest and inhabited, and that more than 50 worshippers were attending evening prayers at the local chapel at the time. “They would certainly have been trapped in the area,” he said, describing how the man in the couple tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire with water before kicking it, but the firework kept burning.
He said the couple caught the car’s registration number as the pair fled the scene, and that when he asked the two people responsible what they were doing, “they laughed” before leaving.
Evangelou described the couple who reported the incident as conscientious, saying the woman came to him first to explain what had happened while simultaneously calling police. He said he went to the scene himself and saw the firework and two firecrackers. “It worried us greatly,” he said, noting the area is wooded with houses and army camps nearby.
Evangelou appealed to the public to report such incidents, as well as people who dump rubbish that can also cause fires. He said he hoped others would follow the couple’s example, adding that it was not about informing on people but protecting the forest, the village and residents themselves. He also expressed satisfaction with the response of Kofinou Police Station, whose officers rushed to the scene immediately.
