The Cyprus News Agency made a trip to the affected areas of Mountainous Larnaca and Limassol.
MOUNTAINOUS LARNACA
Ashes and apocalypses, with burned agricultural areas, mountains blackened by fire, places where smoke was still coming out, but also four dead, workers who came to Cyprus for a better life, left behind the catastrophic fire that broke out on Saturday in areas of Limassol and extended to mountainous Larnaca.
During a journey of KYPE in Communities of mountainous Larnaca that were affected by the fury of the catastrophic fire, we also noticed green spots in mountains which were not touched by the fiery flame.
At several points where we stopped to capture the catastrophic and all-black landscape, we felt in our face the hot aura from the fire and we saw from quite far, smoke coming from age-old trees with very thick trunks, which the fire could not burn.
On the trek to the affected areas we saw houses, new and traditional even abandoned to be burned, cars in which only the frame was left, stakes of the Cyprus Electricity Authority that were not completely burned and generally a dark scene under the clear blue sky, which at the weekend was blackened by the smoke, which reached from Larnaca to Paralimni.
People are desperately measuring their wounds, trying to realize that this evil has found them in, once again, "black July", while wondering how it will be possible, not only to rebuild its fortunes but also to make the earth reborn from its ashes to become what it once was, mountains with all shades of green.
The helicopters of the Republic and Israel and the planes of the Department of Forestry attempted even on Monday, with drops of water to extinguish the last smokes that were seen in various parts of the mountains, while the efforts were assisted by ground and cars of the Fire Service and the Department of Forests.
Police vehicles were also circulating on the streets, the members of which offered their own help where needed, while crews of the Cyprus Electricity Authority, transported generators and installed new poles and transformers.
The Mayor of Odos, Menelaos Filippou, stated that "we have already started recording the damage to fields, crops and businesses up to the last needle, to be sent to the competent Departments and Services of the State. We have organized a group of volunteers who deliver food to the residents and those in need of clothing, while they also cleaned the Community from ashes and all other rubbish caused by the catastrophic fire ".
He added that "the fire has destroyed large areas of tomatoes and apiaries, with 26 tons of honey inside as well as a thousand hives with tens of thousands of euros in damage. We expect immediate support, help and support from the State and in fact quickly so that we can stand on our own two feet, set up our crops and continue our life ".
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Filippou said that "the worst of all for the Community and the world, that is, the incalculable damage caused by the blaze and the fact that several of our fellow villagers lost their jobs, is the loss of the four workers who have been working in Cyprus for several years. Our people mourn as do the friends of the four dead, who came from their country for a better life on our island, since the loss of four people was a great blow to the Community, we did not expect such a tragic thing to happen event".
Mr. Filippou also clarified that it is unacceptable and is not correct at all, while as Common Leader I am completely opposed to what is written that in the village we did not count our workers and they were essentially abandoned. I do not know why all this is written, but I mention that all these people were by our side and helped us to save our homes "he said and added" these people cried with us watching our property burn, they hurt like us and when they lost them "Four of their fellow human beings, we suffered as they did."
A delegation of the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization (KOAP) also visited the affected areas and Andreas Evangelou, Assistant Commissioner of the Organization, stated that "today we visited the areas affected by the deadly fire in Limassol and Larnaca. agri-environmental programs. "We all grieve for the devastation caused by the fire and we hope that very soon the compensation will be given to the people who lost their property and are in urgent need."
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Evangelou said that "we will know very quickly the areas that have been destroyed because there are imprints. "First we have to expect the State to complete its own measurements and recordings and we will only deal with the areas declared to the COAP for hectare or agro-environmental subsidies."
The Mayor of Vavatsinia, Andreas Gabriel, described the situation with the fire on Saturday as "very difficult, since we are afraid for our lives as the fire was coming at us." The Coordination Center was set up in Vavatsinia, to which all the competent Services went to coordinate the efforts to extinguish the fire.
He added that "the good thing for our community, was the fact that because initially the winds were southwest and the fire was coming over us and was going to the Macheras Forest, suddenly their direction changed and they turned north. Within a short time, all the competent Services, aircraft and firefighting vehicles of the Fire Service and the Department of Forestry arrived and began with superhuman efforts, due to the very strong winds, to try to extinguish the fire ".
Mr. Gabriel noted that "we should not underestimate anyone's work, since the work done was terrible. We must congratulate all those who participated in this titanic project, the volunteers but also from all over the world since even from other Communities they came to bring us supplies "he said and added that" in Vavatsinia only crops such as olives and fruit trees were burned and a part of the forest ".
Kyriakos Monogios, Regional Officer of the Nicosia, Larnaca and Famagusta Forest Department, also visited the affected areas, saying that "things are much better, despite the fact that there are still small fires on the perimeter of the fire." However, all the Services that cooperate in the context of this great effort, cover the entire perimeter and control these re-ignitions "he said and noted that" tonight people will remain to guard the perimeter to make sure that there will be no re-ignitions of the fire, while tomorrow a new assessment of the situation ".
Answering a relevant question, Mr. Monogios said that "the aircraft help and give time to the ground forces to put under complete control any outbreak. The aircraft and the rest of the staff of all the Services involved made a huge effort to put out the catastrophic fire ".
To another question he replied that "Israeli aircraft will continue to be loaded with water and other necessary materials to patrol the burned areas while the efforts will be reinforced with patrols and the planes of the Department of Forests also loaded. "Throughout the effort to put out the fire, Canadair aircraft were taking water from the sea while Republic aircraft were going to Larnaca and after landing they were loading water."
He also noted that "police helicopters and Russian helicopters for rent were taking water from the many dams in the area, which allowed them to make more and more frequent drops as they came and went for uninterrupted loading."
Mr. Monogios described the fire as "very difficult" and added that "we must get used to Cyprus that, due to global warming, the abandonment of the countryside so there is much more grass, ie the presence of grasses and shrubs that are more flammable and reducing cultivated areas, the data are gradually changing. The decisive factor in the fire that broke out on Saturday was played by the very strong winds in combination with the high temperatures ".
At the Coordination Center of the Forest Department in Vavatsinia we met the crew of the two aircraft sent by Israel and in his statements Captain Doron Eli Melekh, of the Israeli Air Fire Brigade stated that "we came from Israel, with two personnel and 20 personnel to help Cyprus in the great fire. It was a very big fire, which spread very quickly, after it started from an area of Limassol and reached areas of mountainous Larnaca ".
He added that "when we arrived in Cyprus the fire was already under control and so we helped local teams fight the fire on many small fronts to prevent it from spreading and spreading."
Answering a relevant question, he said that "the aircraft and the personnel will remain in the area on Monday, maybe on Tuesday to see how the situation is progressing and in case the fire is under full control then we will leave for Israel. The fire was very big, we are used to this kind of fires, but comparing it with those in Israel, since the weather, climate and soil morphology are similar to Cyprus, the fire in the area, even for our parameters, it was too big ".
The Coordination Center in Vavatsinia was also visited by Michalis Komodromos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Cyprus Electricity Authority, said that "the EAC started preparing and transporting material to mountainous Larnaca on Saturday night, such as stakes and transformers so that the crews are ready. on Sunday morning to start work. "From five in the morning on Sunday, the crews from all the cities worked non-stop and feverishly until ten in the evening."
He added that "the EAC crews started working on Monday at five in the morning and we tried to connect as many pieces as possible, especially in the villages. We also brought several generators to connect the cores of the villages so that we have the best possible coverage for electricity "he said and noted that" efforts will also be made to cover other areas of mountainous Larnaca and Limassol ".
Mr. Komodromos expressed his gratitude "from the side of the Board of Directors and from the side of the Management of the Cyprus Electricity Authority, for the excessive zeal shown by the EAC staff to solve the problem as soon as possible to the greatest extent possible. "They have made an impressive effort to get what we want."
Christoforos Alekou, Mayor of Melina, described the catastrophic fire in the communities of mountainous Larnaca and Limassol as "biblical and complete" and noted that "it was the worst fire I have ever experienced since it was so fast and so sudden that we did not to do nothing, since it caught us all unexpectedly ".
Fortunately, he continued: "We managed to evacuate the Community and we did not lose any lives. However, there were catastrophes after three houses were completely burned and another ten suffered significant damage, "he said, adding that" agricultural crops were also destroyed and I am sorry to say that my soul is melting, as it is a complete disaster for the farmers of the Community. "
To a relevant question, Mr. Alekou answered that "the farmers of the area were cultivating tomatoes and other perishables as well as various fruits and the destruction by the fire is complete, since, among other things, watering hoses, machines and other tools worth several thousand euros were destroyed. The registration of the damages by Larnaca District Administration Officers has already begun, "he said, expressing" the wish and hope that the statements of the President of the Republic become a reality and the government must immediately come to the aid of the people who were destroyed. "
The people of the area, continued "need immediate support, since apart from our houses that did not burn, we have nothing else to support".
MOUNTAINOUS LIMASSOL
It took just a few hours to get lost, in the flames, four people, laborers and landlords, as well as a huge green lung for mountainous Limassol, which continues to count its wounds and like a palm tree waiting to be reborn from its ashes.
The rage of the fire, which engulfed an orchard in Arakapa on Saturday afternoon, left behind an untold tragedy with four dead, incalculable ecological disaster, homeless families, burnt animals, buildings and vehicles, power and water supply problems and a landslide.
KYPE went to the affected areas of mountainous Limassol, starting from Akapnou and then Arakapas and Eptagonia, and recorded what the fiery flame left behind, both through statements of people who lived close to the nightmare, but also through photos and videos, which testify to the utter destruction.
However, nothing foretells what one will see as it moves north from the exit of the Chapel. Shortly after Kellaki and as the road descends on Dimitris Christofias Avenue, a depressing, frightening image emerges, as the green follows ash and scum, while the scorched earth continues to smell in the air.
Firefighting planes, helicopters and vehicles, which in the previous days were fighting an unequal battle with the flames, are patrolling the affected areas, as small re-fires threaten to end what the catastrophic fire did not prevent.
The Conservator of Forests at the Forest Department, Loizos Konstantinou, told KYPE that from the time the fire broke out, seeing the prevailing conditions and taking into account the factors that contributed to its enormous dimensions, it was decided that the National Plan would be implemented. "Hephaestus", for forest fires.
"Then the ministerial crisis management team met. The Director of the Forest Department is appointed as the person in charge of fire and now the plan is implemented as provided. "With the instructions of the Director, the fire is extinguished", he explains.
It was, he continues, a situation unprecedented for the Cypriot data, "the winds that were blowing greatly favored the rapid spread of the fire. "In a few hours (the fire) moved from Arakapa into eight communities and burned about 55 square kilometers of wild vegetation and made the firefighting task very difficult."
As he said, "during the day (Saturday), when the strong winds were blowing, it was very difficult to approach, as well as for the aircraft. But during the night, titanic efforts were made by our staff, superhuman, and we managed to put it under partial control by Sunday morning, which means that we reduced its spread, stabilized the perimeter and started securing it to do not expand ".
"It was moving at a tremendous speed. It was probably the worst fire we had in Cyprus to date and for us it was an unprecedented experience. It was a hell of a fire. That is all we have to say ", he added.
As of Monday morning, Mr. Konstantinou pointed out, the fire has been brought under full control, however he noted that the competent services continue to monitor its progress. "There are very small flares, which do not inspire any concern. "But we must be vigilant, because the conditions are unpredictable, no one can know how it will develop in the future," he noted.
Asked how long the fire brigade will remain in the affected areas, he said that definitely by today, Tuesday, and added that the situation will be reassessed and if it is considered completely safe, the forces will leave. "If there is even the slightest doubt that we may have a new outbreak we will stay until we ensure that any outbreak will not start again," he added.
Asked whether precautionary patrols would continue, the Forest Conservationist said that, after the fire was partially brought under control, forces were deployed around and patrolling on a 24-hour basis, locating some outbreaks that are suspected of expanding and extinguishing, while there is a continuous mobilization of the staff "so that we do not allow the fire to grow again and continue its destructive work".
In addition to the basic fire services, the contribution of the Civil Defense was considered decisive, which once again responded to a difficult and nightmarish situation as it turned out.
As the Deputy Director of Limassol Civil Defense, Olivia Michailidou, stated in KYPE, "we continue to be in close cooperation with the Commissioner for Civil Protection, but also the community authorities, for the provision of emergency items to the victims".
"At the same time, both in the morning and in the afternoon, our teams are conducting patrols to detect any re-ignitions and extinguish them, but mainly to contact the residents of the affected communities, so that at any time, any need arises, to become the appropriate arrangements so that the necessary assistance can be provided ", he added.
Answering a question, Ms. Michailidou said that the patrols were mainly by the Civil Defense of the provinces of Limassol and Larnaca, however, "Nicosia also had to assist in several cases, supporting the project".
The dramatic hours spent by the inhabitants of the area of the communities of mountainous Limassol, especially in Arakapa, Akapnou and Eptagonia, are recorded through the statements of the community leaders.
The mayor of Akapnos, Haris Anastasiadis, told us that a tragic day dawned on Saturday. "We saw the flames, we saw the wind, we saw the fire go uncontrollably. "We did not know what would happen," he said.
"The fire first caught the hills up and then started down, towards our village. That is why we are lucky ", he added and noted that arable lands, greenhouses, estates, agricultural warehouses were burned, while there was no electricity and water supply.
"Today (Monday) when I woke up and saw the disaster, the spectacle is sad. The blackness you see everywhere. The mountains above were all green. We saw the pines, now we see a catastrophe "he continued and thanked the fire brigade and all other services for their help.
At the same time, he called on the government to support the farmers and support them financially, stating that "there is a man who told me that he has a loss of 100 thousand euros, a family whose whole life is agriculture and must help them immediately."
He also called on the state to take stricter measures against all those who, intentionally or unintentionally, cause such devastating fires with their actions.
In the square of the community of Arakapa, which has been turned into a large social grocery store, we find the community leader, Vassos Vassilios, who coordinates the efforts of the community.
As he stated in KYPE, "every day that passes, every day that we see this black that you see around us, seems blacker to us".
"We are experiencing a tragedy, but we must rediscover our courage, revive it and start regenerating our village. This is how we have to do it, this is how it is imposed "he said and added that the first concern is the survival of the villagers, back".
He expressed the hope that within the day the community will be able to be electrified and fully supplied with water.
Asked how many people have been affected by the fire, Mr. Vassiliou said that almost everyone is affected and that those most affected are the families of the eleven homes in the community that have been completely destroyed.
He also noted that the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Interior will be in the community on Tuesday afternoon, where the situation will be discussed, with all the community leaders in the area.
At the same time, he underlined the great response of the people for offering help, stating that "the love of the people has literally drowned us". "We did not expect so much love from all over Cyprus. "They send us basic necessities and I am excited and I want to thank them all from the bottom of my heart," he said.
Deeply moved and the Commonwealth of Eptagonia, Panagiotis Tsolakis, thanked for the response of the people and describes the dramatic moments that the community lived.
As he told us, Saturday was a dramatic situation "the wind was so strong that in record time so many fires had developed that no one could control them".
"And we had the misfortune that the two fire trucks of the Heptagonia Fire Station were missing in the Chapel (for extinguishing the fire)" he said, while noting that, until their arrival, it was too late, as the fire spread to many places.
"They made superhuman efforts, they did what they could. They sent everything over here, but it was not controlled by anything. It was a very difficult day and night ", Mr. Tsolakis points out, characteristically stating that the fire was transmitted in a flash" a hundred-hundred meters, without any contact, because when the wind carried something, a new hearth immediately started ".
Unfortunately, he notes, the area has become a "skull place", 10 houses have been completely destroyed, while two have been damaged. The church of Agios Georgios was also damaged, while two beekeeping packaging plants, a livestock unit and the Fire Station have been destroyed.
The latter, he reminded, has been completely destroyed together with the two private cars of the firefighters who were out at the time to put out the fire, while when asked if it will be rebuilt, he said that a company offered to cover the costs for a new Fire Station in the bypass. Kellaki - Eptagonia road.
Asked about the response of the people of Cyprus for help, Mr. Tsolakis bowed and with tears in his eyes said that this was unprecedented and that this effort made by the whole world, organizations, unions, etc. has not been repeated.
"I'm moved by the effort of the people, the solidarity that the people in general have to help. This is human and I believe it belongs to the Greekness of the world and to Christianity. "The messages I have received and the phone calls from all over the region are very good and I wish everyone was the same," he added.
The equipment of the Cyprus Electricity Authority did not escape the fire either, as transformers, cables and wooden stakes were handed over to the flames.
The Deputy Director of the EAC in the Limassol District, Thassos Theodosiou, told KYPE that a great effort has begun and continues, because, "we are really talking about the greatest extent of damage that has taken place, apart from the fact that it involves all these communities, in the extent of our network ".
In particular, as he stated, about 350 stakes have been burned, as well as 15 aerial transformers, while their number is expected to increase as patrols continue to assess the situation.
"Our staff, not only from Limassol, but also from the offices in Larnaca, Nicosia and Paphos, have strengthened our air networks and it is a gigantic effort, with a lot of staff, which has been evolving since Saturday night, culminated yesterday ( "Sunday) and continues, while the nuclei of the communities have been electrified", he added.
The effort, continued Mr. Theodosiou, will probably continue until Thursday and Friday "to reach the last transformers that may be on mountain tops to reach water pumps, to reach individual houses of the world that are built, because you realize it is a huge damage".
The deadly fire on Saturday left our small homeland once again taken, which is called to gather its pieces and find the courage to rebuild what was demolished and to regenerate what the fiery flame killed. The moving response to this great evil, once again highlighted the values of solidarity and charity of the people of this place and sends a message of optimism that in this battle we will succeed.