A large wildfire in the Limassol district is raging out of control, destroying homes and vehicles whilst forcing the evacuation of multiple villages as authorities struggle against fierce winds and extreme weather conditions.
The blaze has spread rapidly across two mountain peaks near the communities of Vasa and Vouni, with Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis confirming the fire remains uncontrolled and describing the situation as “difficult” with strong winds hampering firefighting efforts.
Major destruction reported
Community Council President Matthaios Protopapas described “major destruction” in Vouni village, where access roads have been closed due to the fire. He confirmed involvement in coordinating evacuations with Civil Defence forces but could not confirm with absolute certainty whether all residents had been safely evacuated from their homes.
The fire has now spread toward the Agios Therapon community, with houses confirmed burning in Vasa Koilaniou village, according to Community Leader Michalis Mosfilis.
Mass evacuations underway
Police have issued urgent calls for residents in villages including Omodos, Koilani, Vasa Koilaniou, Potamiou and Arsos to comply with evacuation instructions from police, fire service and Civil Defence authorities.
Earlier evacuations were completed in the Malia community in semi-mountainous Limassol, with the neighbouring Vasa Koilaniou community evacuation now being finalised. Community Council President Marilena Athini reported that some residents initially resisted evacuation orders, whilst authorities are making desperate efforts to contain the blaze.
International assistance requested
Minister Hartsiotis announced that assistance will be requested from neighbouring countries to help combat the enormous fire. “I ask residents to cooperate because our primary objective is to avoid injuries and casualties,” he emphasised, noting no civilian injuries have been reported thus far.
Emergency response mobilised
Strong forces from the Fire Service, Forest Department, Provincial Administration, Civil Defence and volunteer groups are operating in the area. Eight aircraft are supporting firefighting efforts, with additional aerial support expected from the British Bases.
Additional forces are arriving from Larnaca, Paphos and the Fire Service’s EMAK unit. Provincial Fire Chief Christoforos Stylianou is coordinating firefighting forces on site, with Chief Fire Officer Nikos Longinos en route. An advanced command centre has been activated.
Extreme weather conditions
Weather monitoring service Kitasweather reports temperatures of 38.3°C in Malia with relative humidity below 20%. Moderate southwest winds of 5 Beaufort are continuing with storm-force gusts reaching 8 Beaufort, creating highly adverse fire-meteorological conditions.
The IKAROS II emergency protocol was implemented from the outset, with road closures on the Malia-Omodos and Malia-Arsos routes due to the fire’s proximity.
