Thirty Cypriot firemen in Greece fighting disastrous fires

Thirty Cypriot firemen and six mobile firefighting units were dispatched to Greece by Cyprus and are currently in Aliveri of Euboea, assisting their Greek colleagues in efforts to combat huge fires that have claimed lives and reduced to ash whole villages and forests over vast expanses.
Minister of Justice and Public Order Sophocles Sophocleous told CNA that it was the Republic of Cyprus that took the initiative to volunteer firemen, in a gesture of solidarity with Greece.
The firemen and mobile units were transported to Greece on board C130 military transport planes.
Sophocleous said he was in contact with Cyprus‘ Ambassador in Athens George Georgis, who informed him that the firemen and units were ”in Aliveri of Euboea, which is one of the areas facing the worst fires at the moment.”
On their arrival in Greece, the firemen ”placed themselves at the disposal of the services and guidance of the Greek fire department,” he added. The death toll in Greece’s forest fires reached at least 59 as European Union nations sent fire- fighting planes and a blaze damaged the site of the ancient Olympic games.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis mobilized the army to battle the flames after declaring a state of emergency that allowed the government to requisition private property and labor. Karamanlis, who faces an election on Sept. 16, put the entire country on alert and called on citizens to assist firefighters.

International assistance is arriving in the country, doubling the number of Greek aircraft involved in the effort, according to the fire service. A total of 14 planes and 11 helicopters are arriving from countries including France, Norway, Germany, Serbia, Israel and Iceland.

It’s “the biggest offer of assistance to any member state” under the European Union’s civil protection mechanism since 2001, the EU said. About 1,200 soldiers have been mobilized to help put out the flames.

The government offered a reward of up to 1 million euros for information leading to arsonists.