A fire broke out in the Prasteio Kellakiou area of the Limassol district at 3am on Monday, most likely started when someone threw lit coals into a plastic rubbish bin, Forestry Department spokesman Glafkos Kyriakou said.
Fifty people from the Fire Service, the Forestry Department and volunteer groups tackled the blaze on the ground. The Fire Service deployed five vehicles and the Forestry Department eight, while aircraft carried out preventive water drops. The Kitasweather Volunteer Fire Group also joined the operation with 15 people, three mobile units and one fire truck. Authorities activated the ASTRAPI emergency plan.
The CY Alert system later informed residents that firefighters had extinguished the fire. Emergency services remain on alert in case it reignites.
The Kitasweather page was first to report the fire and published images from the area, as the blaze broke out near one of its cameras.
The fire burned two hectares of wild vegetation.
