Filenews 7 July 2021 - byAngelos Nikolaou
An incalculable environmental damage was left behind by the fire that broke out last Saturday in the wider mountainous region of Limassol and Larnaca provinces. The fire that broke out on Saturday, July 3rd at 13:50, in the community of Arakapas was extended to the communities of Heptagonia, Acapnos, Oras, Meline, Sykopetras, Odos, Agioi Vavatzinias and Vavatsinia, and was brought under full control on Monday, July 5, at 08:00, covering a perimeter of about 40 km. The fire burned an area of about 55 square kilometres covered with forest vegetation and agricultural crops, destroyed homes and other private property and killed four people.
Specifically, the fire was extended to the administrative boundaries of the communities of Sykopetra, Arakapas, Dierona, Eptagonia, Acapnos, Prasti Kelaki and Kellaki of the Limassol province, Odos, Melini, Ora, Agioi Vavatsinias, Vavatsinia and Upper Lefkara of the province of Larnaca, as well as Kampi and Pharmaka of the province of Nicosia.
The last large-scale fire to break out in Cyprus was on 16 June 2016 in the Soleas Valley, which in 4 whole days burned a total of 1/3 of the area covered in just 5 hours by the large fire in the mountainous area of Limassol-Larnaca. It is noted that a week of prolonged heat wave with temperatures above 40 degrees preceded.
The fire burned vast tracts of state-owned gravel land and private property, within and outside the development boundaries of adjacent communities, including residential, agricultural and livestock areas. According to the current Development Plan and in particular the Policy Statement on The Regulation and Control of Development and Environmental Protection in the Outdoors and Villages, the entire burned area is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the area there are also remarkable and unique Protected Landscapes, such as the Arakapas and Agioi Vavatsinia, as well as the MountainTop St. Peter in the community of Odos and the Geomorphma with Chromite Appearances in the community of Acapnos.
It is noted that almost all affected communities are among the designated villages, which have a specific social, architectural, historical or other interest or character, based on the current Rural Policy Statement. These villages are located in Environmentally Sensitive Areas and have, for the most part, Traditional Cores, which maintain their old structure and character, include traditional buildings and other elements and are usually characterized by the continuous building system.
A very large part of the burnt area includes agricultural land of high natural value, which is divided into three types: (a) agricultural land with a high percentage of semi-natural vegetation, (b) agricultural land with mosaicity, low-intensity agriculture and rural landscape building blocks (e.g. structures/drystones), as well as (c) agricultural land/pastures with important species of fauna and flora. Agricultural areas of high natural value are a key indicator for the assessment of agriculture and the environment.
The main Limassol State Forest and the Machera National Forest Park, which have been included in the European network of Natura 2000 protected areas as Sites of Community Importance/Special Conservation Zones, have been directly threatened by the fire, for the protection of natural habitats as well as wildlife. However, the fire burned the small state forest of Agioi Vavatsinias completely, and fortunately it was extinguished before entering the state forest of Acapnos. In addition to the above, very large areas of state-owned gravel land, with pine and bushy vegetation, were also lost.
Two Natura 2000 protected areas affected
The fire appears to have affected significant parts of two Natura 2000 protected areas, which have been designated as Special Protection Zones for the Conservation of Wild Birds:
• On the northwest front of the fire, between the communities of Sykopetra – Odos – Melini, a small area of the Special Protection Zone "Mountain Peaks Madaris – Papoutsa" appears to have been affected. The area "Madaris – Papoutsa Mountain Peaks" was defined as a Special Protection Zone for 10 species of birdlife, which are listed in Annex I to the EU Wildlife Conservation Directive (2009/147/EC, former Directive 79/409/EEC) and are reproduced in the region in significant numbers (Spizaetos, Diploperakos, Nyktopouli, Pefcotrasila, Skalifurta, Trypomazis, Pebetsos, Arboretum, Dakkannura and Sitaropouli). The conservation objectives of the Special Protection Zone "Madaris - Papoutsa Mountain Peaks" also include 2 other important species of birdlife (Zanos and Thupi). The fire affected a small but particularly important part of the area "Mountain peaks Madaris - Papoutsa", within the Protected Landscape MountainTop Stavropekos, between the communities of Odos - Kambouri - Sykopetra.
• On the northeast front of the fire, between the communities of Odos – Agioi Vavatsinia – Vavatsinia, a significant area of the Special Protection Zone "Gionia Area" appears to have been affected. The "Gionia Area" was defined as a Special Protection Zone for 7 species of birdlife, which are included in Annex I to the EU Wild Bird Conservation Directive (2009/147/EC, formerly Directive 79/409/EEC) and are reproduced in the region in significant numbers (Zanos, Nyktopouli, Skalifurta, Tripomazis, Pebetsos, Dakcannura and Sitaropouli). The conservation objectives of the Special Protection Zone "Gionia Region" also include 5 other important species of birdlife (Spizaetos, Diplopgerakos, Pefkotrasila, Arboretum and Thupi). The fire affected a large part of the southwestern outskirts of Mount Gionia, which is the fourth highest mountain peak in the Troodos mountain range (after Snowstra/Olympus, Madari and Papoutsa).
Drinking water dam catchment areas burned
The fire also burned very large areas within the run-off basins and protection zones of the water reservoirs (drinking water dams) of Germasogeia and Kalavasos. It is noted that these are, for the most part, areas of potential significant flood risk.
The loss of vegetation in the catchment areas of the Germasogeia River and the Royal River is expected to significantly increase the potential risk of flooding. There is also the risk of soil erosion, especially in areas of late with long and steep slopes.
In addition, the fire burned a large part of the well-known corridors – passages of migratory wild birds of the River Germasogeia and the Vasilikos River, as well as the southern part of the inland passage.
The fire came very close to ancient monuments
After the fire was extinguished on Monday morning, officials of the Department of Antiquities conducted on-site inspections of the declared Ancient Monuments under the Antiquities Act, located in the affected areas to assess their condition. It was found that although in some cases the fire came very close to some monuments, fortunately no monuments were affected.
The Ancient Monuments located in the areas affected by the fires are the following: the Church of the Holy Cross and the Church of Panagia Iamatikos in Arakapas, the Bridge of Acapou, the Churches of Agios Georgios and Panagia Kampos in Acapou, the Church of Agia Marina in the community of Odos, the Church of Panagia in Vavatsinia , the Church of Panagia Chryseleousa in Melini, the settlement of Parsata in Ora, the Church of Agioi Anargyri in Agios Vavatsinias, the Church of Archangel Michael and the Watermill in Dierona, as well as the Olive Mill in Sykopetra.
