Pafos Live 7 July 2025
The director of the forestry department, Savvas Ezekiel, lashed out at the arsonists on the occasion of today's fire.
Members of the ground firefighting forces were in danger, a forest firefighter is facing respiratory problems, while a large area of centuries-old olive trees was burned.
It is estimated that the burned area exceeds 1.5 square kilometers. The fire was brought under full control shortly before 8 p.m.
Update - Pafos Press
The Director of the Forestry Department, Savvas Ezekiel, described the fire that broke out yesterday, Monday, in the area between the villages of Galataria and Pentalia as a crime.
In his statements to CNA, Mr. Ezekiel mentioned that a centuries-old property was lost after being passed down from generation to generation, and this is the olive grove between the communities of Galataria and Pentalia. An olive grove from which, as he said, generations of generations have passed, they have reaped the fruit, they have worked, they have sweated, and one day the Forestry Department had issued a red alert for these things to happen. Every citizen of this place, Mr. Ezekiel noted, feels intense bitterness for this thing that happened. To see, he said characteristically, centuries-old trees, a few hundred in number, a forest of olive trees that have passed down through generations and was the pride of these villages being destroyed.
Mr. Ezekiel said that it is not only the olive trees that have been lost, but also the biodiversity that these trees support, in the wild fauna. In this particular area, he added, wild animals feed, fassas feed, partridges feed, migratory birds feed. He also added that everyone must be careful about their actions, their machinery and anything they use now.
The Director of the Forestry Department noted that it was possible to stop the fire, but the damage was great. He also pointed out that we must be reasonable, not to make mistakes or omissions, while stating that fires are not forgiving and noting that we may have tragic results.
Yesterday, he continued, winds were blowing at 5-6 Beaufort. Everyone must understand, he said characteristically, that it is their fellow citizens and villagers who will extinguish these fires and will thus be exposed to danger.
Asked about this, Mr. Ezekiel said that a forest firefighter appeared to have been affected by smoke while trying to extinguish the fire and due to the overexertion of extinguishing it. He inhaled smoke and felt unwell due to fatigue. Subsequently, he continued, an ambulance was called to the scene and he was transferred to the Accident and First Aid Department of Paphos General Hospital, where he received first aid and is in good health.
The fire was contained after 20:00, according to a post on platform X by Cyprus Fire Service Spokesperson Andreas Kettis.
Mr. Kettis reported that the fire burned a total area of approximately 1.6 square kilometers of wild vegetation, dry grass and trees, noting that ground forces were not deployed, but remained for final extinguishing throughout the night and dealing with any resurgences.
Mr. Kettis noted that during the course of the fire, the Pentalia Consortium was protected by the firefighting forces.
The fire was spotted by a loaded aircraft on patrol, which made the first drop and ground forces were immediately mobilized, he said.
The causes of the fire are under investigation, however, according to Mr. Kettis, the fire is assessed to have started from the road boundaries.
According to the Chief Fire Officer of the Cyprus Fire Service, Nikos Logginos, forces from the Fire Service, the Forestry Department, the District Administration and the Hunting Fund attempted to extinguish the fire, while volunteer groups also contributed to the extinguishing work. According to Andreas Kettis, 10 vehicles from the Fire Service, 5 vehicles from the Forestry Department, 2 vehicles from the Civil Defense along with a team for evacuations and first aiders for preventive purposes attempted to extinguish it. Also, the volunteer groups Kitas Weather, ETEA and SupportCy. Land thrusters and 8 aircraft contributed to the extinguishing work.
The firefighting forces were also reinforced, as he said, from other provinces such as Limassol, Larnaca and the EMAK. The aerial vehicles, eight in number, operated until sunset, he noted. Mr. Longinos told CNA that there was no danger to the residential area since all the residences and premises were protected.
The Fire Department's Operations Director also attended the fire.
