Arson Incident at Cyprus Racetrack Over the Weekend

A series of significant fires occurred in Cyprus over the past weekend, prompting investigations into arson cases and preparation by rescue teams for a potentially challenging fire season.

In particular, early Sunday morning saw a fire erupt in a metal transmission tower at the racetrack in Agios Dometios, Nicosia. Emergency services were alerted about the fire near the racetrack around 04:25 in the morning.

Police and fire department personnel swiftly responded to the scene, extinguishing the fire promptly. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire originated in the metal support structure of the transmission tower, which was completely destroyed.

Following an examination of the scene, police concluded that the fire was deliberately set and placed the site under protection. The Nicosia police department is currently investigating the arson case.

The fire department has also responded to the incident, with a representative stating, "We have serious evidence that some of the fires that occurred yesterday were not accidental."

It is noted that the Republic of Cyprus currently has three main aircraft at its disposal to combat the fire threat: one aircraft from the Department of Forestry and two Jordanian helicopters, each crewed by 18 people.

Additional forces, including the police, the National Guard, and British military bases, may be called upon to assist in firefighting efforts if necessary.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture is working to expedite the leasing process of additional aircraft: another four aircraft and two helicopters. However, the arrival date of these aircraft in Cyprus is currently unknown.

Recall that it was previously reported that from mid-June, the Republic of Cyprus will receive two more Air Tractor firefighting aircraft through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. These aircraft will be available from June 15th to October 30th and will be leased by the Republic of Cyprus using EU funds.