Nicosia, Cyprus. A combine harvester parked in a field in Sia in the Nicosia district caught fire 10 minutes after midnight on Thursday. Firefighters brought the blaze under control half an hour later and prevented it from spreading to nearby vegetation.
Third fire in three days
The fire in Sia’s Petrokolymbia area was the third blaze reported in the area in three days.
On Tuesday, another fire broke out in Mathiatis, the village after Sia, again in the early hours. The fire in the Pervolia area, on the road from Mathiatis to Lythrodontas, started at five minutes after midnight and was contained by 1.30am after burning around one hectare of reeds and wild vegetation.
A total of 10 firefighters and four fire engines from the fire brigade and forestry department operated to extinguish that fire. Authorities are investigating the cause of both the Tuesday and Thursday fires.
Wednesday fire in Sia
On Wednesday, a fire broke out at 2.30pm in the Karaves area in Sia, on the road to Mathiatis, and was contained at 3.10pm after burning three hectares of pine trees and wild vegetation.
The forestry department responded with 35 firefighters, seven fire engines, one water tanker and two earth shifters. The fire brigade deployed four firefighters and two fire engines. Volunteers also joined the effort with three tractors and two excavators.
The fire began from an oven. The offender admitted starting the fire and will be prosecuted.