The Troodos forest was endangered by the morning fire in Pera Pedi, which seems to have started due to human negligence, said the Minister of Agriculture Costas Kadis, who expressed his intention to reintroduce a sentence that will reach up to life imprisonment for those who cause forest fires. Two arrest warrants were recently issued for a 47-year-old and a 54-year-old.
In statements from the area of the fire, where he watched from the observatory the progress of the firefighting project, Costas Kadis said that "it was really a very difficult and dangerous fire".
"It broke out in a place that has dense vegetation and is connected to the wider Troodos forest," he said, adding that "if the fire had spread, then we would be talking about a huge disaster, which we fortunately prevented thanks to the timely and very widespread mobilization of firefighting forces, both ground and air ".
It is very important, he continued, that there was immediate and timely intervention and congratulated the Department of Forests and all other services that contributed to the whole effort.
According to him, the fire started due to human negligence and specifically from work in a holiday home, noting that "it is really outrageous, it creates anger and indignation, the fact that a few days after the devastating fire we had in mountainous Larnaca and Limassol, we have again a new fire of negligence ".
"We have lost lives, we have lost fortunes, we have lost the green lung and we are coming again with recklessness and with actions that are done without logic, to endanger the Troodos forest", he added.
"It seems that the disaster is limited to about five hectares of scorched earth and fortunately no houses have been affected," he said, urging everyone to be especially careful with their nature activities.
Recalling that with the suggestion of his Ministry, the sentences have become stricter, Costas Kadis said that last year he suggested that there should be sentences of up to life imprisonment for arson and announced that he would reinstate his proposal.
Arrest warrants have been issued for the fire against 47-year-old and 54-year-old, which were executed recently. The suspects allegedly used a power tool, from the sparks of which the fire seems to have started.