Omodos in ‘hell’ as wildfire bears down on village
The village of Omodos is in “hell” as the wildfire raging in the Limassol district bears down on the village, its mukhtar Evgenios Michael said on Thursday evening.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, he said the village’s civilian population has been evacuated, but that he remains in the village.
He added that a part of the fire has been extinguished, but that a fire has started in a new area near a winery.
Fire brigade spokesman Andreas Kettis, meanwhile, described the village as “under threat”, and confirmed that civil defence teams and the police had staged an evacuation of its population.
He also said the front in Omodos is the “most difficult” situation.
A resident of the village, named only as “Mr Stavrou”, spoke to news website Cyprus Times after being evacuated.
“We were surrounded by flames. We left everything behind, and we have no idea what is happening at the moment. There are civil defence teams and firefighters there and we hope they will save the village,” he said.
With foreign minister Constantinos Kombos and Education Minister Athena Michaelidou visiting the coordination centre in the Limassol district village of Ypsonas, Kettis said there are “active resurgences” in various villages in the Limassol district.
As of 6.30pm on Thursday, he said, the fire brigade are currently battling resurgences in the villages of Pachna, Souni, Kantou, and Mandria, as well as in Omodos.
In addition, he said firefighters were attempting to hold back a front near the Ypsonas industrial zone.