Filenews 25 February 2025 - by Michalis Hadjivassilis
Shocking are the figures for deaths each year from fires due to defective devices, structures or carelessness. Every year more than five of our fellow human beings are lost along with ashes and cremations that become property, due to deadly fires in premises.
The main cause of loss of lives is fires in residential premises, followed by fires in factories-business premises. The price we paid from deadly fires that occurred in the last 26 months is heavy, since according to the data of the Fire Service, from 2023 until today, 15 lives were lost from the flames that broke out in premises, with the main cause being carelessness, or some faulty device – construction, which was used for heating.
Characteristic of the situation that is emerging due to the polar cold that affects our country, is the statement of the spokesman of the Fire Service, Andreas Kettis, according to which, in recent days, there has been an increase in fires caused by heating systems.
Almost every night the Service is called to respond to more than one fire incident caused by a radiator, whether it is an electric stove, a radiator or an oil stove. Due to great heat, a fire breaks out from overheating of a nearby object, or due to a short circuit, causing ignition that lives the premises with flames and smoke. As Mr. Kettis explained, many fire episodes are caused by the effort of our fellow human beings to keep warm due to the cold weather. The fires are due to defective construction of fireplaces (smokestacks without adequate insulation), or to short circuits or other reasons, resulting in endangering human lives. It is noteworthy that several lives lost each year concern homeless people who are burned helpless in their attempt to keep warm.
In less than two months this year we are mourning six of our fellow human beings, while in 2023 five people were burned alive and in 2024 another four. During the same period, i.e. from 2023 until today, the Fire Brigade rescued 69 persons from burning buildings, while 59 persons were discharged with injuries (severe burns).
This year is set to be the worst, as six people have been extinguished in flames so far. On February 15, 5-member family perished in their home in Limassol (the parents and their three minor children) with the causes attributed to a television set. The tragedy unfolded at 4:04 in the morning, as the family with three young children was burned alive after a fire in an apartment in Agios Nikolaos, Limassol. Although members of the police tried to enter the house, they did not succeed as the flames had spread to such an extent that it became impossible, since they could not even approach. It was found that all of them were burned while lying in their beds. Investigations into the exact cause of the fire are still ongoing, however, everything points to an electrical problem.
Eight days later, another tragedy occurred, in the same area in Limassol, where the 5-member family perished. After a fire in his house, 33-year-old Menelaos Christodoulides was burned. He had been spotted by his brother when the flames broke out, but it was too late. The flames broke out shortly after 2 p.m., but members of the Fire Brigade who rushed to the scene found a charred body belonging to the 33-year-old. From the investigations it seems that the cause was a cigarette butt.
Couple burned
In 2024, four lives were lost to fires. On 3/11/2024, the charred body of a 63-year-old Greek Cypriot electrician was found after he broke out in a huge fire at a polystyrene manufacturing plant in Dromolaxia. It took more than a day to extinguish the flames at the factory before the body of the 63-year-old, who had been missing since the beginning, was found. With him were four other people, who managed to get out of the factory.
On 30/12/2024, apparently due to a short circuit in an electrical installation of a power strip, in the living room, a fire was caused that caused the death of an elderly couple, in Pano Polemidia, They were Evangelos Vasileiou 73 years old and his wife, Pantelitsa Vassiliou 80 years old. The couple's 19-year-old domestic worker managed to get out of the house without suffering any injuries.
It should also be recalled that on July 6, 2021, four Egyptians were found dead from a fire in the village of Odos in Larnaka district, who were missing after the fire that had broken out in Arakapas and spread to the communities of Odos and Ora.
