Paphos Life

Does anyone know where the fire is? The helicopters have been back and forth most of the day over Peyia so we assume it’s in the hills.

There are about 7 (yes 7) fires on today. ARSON......!!!!!

And guess what?....it's another hunting day...maybe a connection as same thing happened last Wednesday...

Exactly what we were thinking!!!

Same as last Wednesday. Coincidence eh?

If only ‘hunting’ could be banned. If it was there would be less reason for people to invade beautiful natural forests en masse , especially mid week. Thus limiting the damage by fire.
Though if these fires are started by landowners/ developers its a different ball game...
Why can’t new development be limited by new laws to close proximity to an existing village. With no permits issued to develop new buildings along the Akamas coast.

Dee

Nothing to do with hunting. We were out all day today and saw lots of fires, but no hunters. Heard one gunshot in the distance.

Plus there were fires on monday and tuesday.,

Hunters are often smokers too.. a stray cigarette or a match not properly extinguished before being thrown from a car window has been the cause of forest and countryside fires previously. Half day closing of shops and other businesses could also be a reason why more people are out and about from lunchtime onwards on a Wednesday.

Dee

Hunters purposefully set fire to no hunting zones to scare out wildlife to areas their allowed to shoot

Before first light today the helicopters flew low over our house. 6.15am to be precise, this fire is in the Akamas area and is a bad one.

Kili01 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:34 pm Why can’t new development be limited by new laws to close proximity to an existing village.
Dee

I understood that was already in hand ...

Happy in Cyprus wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 6:13 pm Must admit, I can't see the connection between hunting and arson either. Why would hunters deliberately set fire to farmland? Can someone please join the dots for me.

On the same topic on another forum someone just recounted:

A year or two ago a seasonal firefighter was found guilty of arson as he wanted to benefit from the overtime!

A lot of the fires do not start on farmland, but in scrub. If the scrub is burnt out, the prey move on to somewhere else where it might be easier to hunt them.

I suspect that particular seasonal fireman was a rareity. The guys I know are exhausted from doing their usual jobs and fighting the numerous fires. Besides, fire fighting is a dangerous business and firefighters are sometimes injured or even killed in the course of their duties.

We didn't see a single hunter yesterday, and drove all over the place. We only heard one gunshot.

And if you missed our film on the helicopter, here it is again:

Does anybody else get a message saying "Cannot load Facebook SDK"?

Here's the Youtube version:

I agree with Dee, many fires are caused by thrown away cigarettes from vehicles.

Jim

Jim B wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2019 7:32 am many fires are caused by thrown away cigarettes from vehicles.

Jim

....and also disposable BBQ's and from glass bottles which can concentrate the suns rays onto dry grass and shrubbery.

Dominic wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 5:35 pm Nothing to do with hunting. We were out all day today and saw lots of fires, but no hunters. Heard one gunshot in the distance.

Plus there were fires on monday and tuesday.,

Quite a few hunters out and about in my area of Polemi.
And a fire in my valley that needed assistance from two helicopters before it was brought under control.
On a steep scrub-covered hillside so not started by a farmer burning his cuttings at the edge of his field - and yes, it happens.

A few years back, there was a little smoke at the edge of one field in the valley where I live, and nobody near it. When my late husband reported it, as it was June the seasonal firefighters had not yet been called in - this has subsequently been changed, they start earlier in the summer, do a lot of driving around looking for tell-tale wisps of smoke, and now are continuing long after summer is officially over.

Unfortunately, there was a major fire elsewhere, so a little delay in sending anyone up from Paphos to check. In the meantime, the wind picked up and the fire ran up the valley, burning large round hay bales, fruit trees and vines en route, over the top of the hill and towards the tulip field. Then the wind changed direction and the fire raced back down the hill, engulfing the few bales it had missed on the first pass, across the bottom and up the far side.

That fire took 3 helicopters, two planes dropping fire retardant, two large all terrain fire trucks, several smaller ones, numerous twin cabs, Civil Defence vehicles and a lot of man power to put out.

Villagers lost their crops, holidaymakers had to be evacuated.
All for one farmer leaving his cuttings smoldering ...

Yesterday's fire in my valley started in scrub beside a road so may have been caused by a carelessly discarded ciggie, or a bottle refracting the sunlight. On the other hand, members of the fire service have been heard saying that hunters set light to scrub to minimize the habitat available to their prey ...

Helicopters were out again at first light.