A wildfire that broke out inside the Kalo Chorio firing range near Larnaca on Monday was brought fully under control within seven hours, after scorching around 120 hectares of mostly low scrubland, the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment has announced.
The blaze erupted at 12.40pm on Monday, July 27, and firefighting crews had the fire contained by 7.30pm.
More than 200 personnel were mobilised in the operation, including 100 Forestry Department staff with 11 fire engines, three water tankers and two bulldozers, alongside 40 members of the Fire Service with nine appliances. A substantial police contingent was also deployed, together with ten officers from the District Administration operating two water carriers and two bulldozers, and 12 National Guard personnel with two bulldozers.
Civil Defence provided 50 personnel, while the Game and Fauna Service sent 11 officers and the Ambulance Service six staff. Volunteer groups and numerous local residents also joined the firefighting effort.
A Local Operations Centre was set up in the area to coordinate the response between all agencies involved, while the national Crisis Management Coordinating Group convened at the Zinon Coordination Centre. The national “Ikaros II” plan was activated, bringing six firefighting aircraft and five helicopters into the operation.
Strong firefighting forces will remain in the area on standby to deal with any flare-ups, authorities said.
