Nothing seems to be left to chance in relation to the fires that broke out in the previous 24 hours in Cyprus.
As reported to "F" by the spokesman of the Fire Service, Andreas Kettis, there is an alarm regarding preventive patrol measures to eliminate even the possibility of arson.
Answering our question about the measures taken, after incidents that raised suspicions of criminal activity of persons, Mr. Kettis said that in some cases, in addition to the scheduled patrols, there are also extraordinary ones.
"We are out both night and day," pointed out the spokesman of the Fire Brigade, who is also the district director of the Service in Larnaca. He even referred to services that the reserve firefighters are also called upon to provide, in addition to the permanent and regular hourly paid staff.
On Saturday, Mr. Kettis officially informed about actions that raised suspicions, calling on citizens to cooperate to prevent: "In addition to the announcements of the Department of Forests about the occurrence of five consecutive outbreaks of forest fires on the road Prodromi to Arodes, in the province of Paphos and the serious suspicions of malicious actions, the Fire Service reports that both in the area of Menikou where a fire broke out and after new information we had from citizen in the area of Oroklini in the Larnaca District to locate people who were carrying out suspicious actions and intentionally attempting to cause a fire, the Service has intensified its patrols and has given all the information to the Police for further examination.
As a result of the above, the Fire Service urges our fellow citizens, in case they notice suspicious movements or actions that foreshadow an intention to cause a fire, to immediately inform both the Fire Service and the nearest Police Station."
It should be noted, however, that as we are informed, the Cyprus Police has already investigated what was put before it in the case of Oroklini, without anything coming to light.
Besides, according to yesterday morning's update, the Fire Service in the 24 hours that preceded, responded to 42 incidents, 23 fires, 16 special services and 3 false calls.
The Department of Forests in yesterday's announcement emphasizes that even today "the risk of explosion and expansion of forest fires will remain at the Red Alert level". It recommends that citizens avoid activities that are likely to cause a fire.
