Government to help restore extensive damage from Cyprus fires

A blaze that has swept across ten square kilomtres of land, burning a house to the ground, barns, greenhouses and cultivated land, has left residents of Kalavasos area “crying over the rubble”, as the local community chief Michalis Soteriou said, while the government is making plans to support the affected citizens.

Minister of Agriculture Photis Photiou said that the government would support the residents of the affected communities in their ordeal and noted that his Ministry was already in the process of purchasing a small plane, similar to the Forestry Department’s plane, to strengthen Cyprus‘ fire-fighting capabilities.

Photiou said there is extensive damage to cultivations, agricultural premises and houses and added that once all the damage was recorded, he will present a proposal to the Council of Ministers for financial and other assistance to the communities.

“It appears that the issue of fires, with the weather conditions and high temperatures in Cyprus, is a matter we must pay close attention to and we must formulate a strategy based on the facts,” he pointed out, adding that the EU could provide aid in this direction from its cohesion funds.

Soteriou said that within the next few days “we will think of how to restore the burned environment we lost” and that the mountainous area needed reforestation, since the community was in danger of landslides into the village from heavy rainfall in winter.