Police investigating Miliou fire

Police are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out on Wednesday afternoon between Miliou, Yiolou and Simou in the Paphos district, while the fight against the flames continues.

So far, they have not managed to obtain witness statements to determine how the fire, which burned about 50 hectares of wild vegetation, started.

Firefighters were working all night to put out the fire and two aircraft rejoined the fight at dawn.

Paphos police’s Michalis Nicolaou said it appears to have started from the roadside between Yiolou and Polis Chrysochous.

The fire then spread to Simou and was put under control on Wednesday evening, Fire Department spokesman Andreas Kettis said.

The Civil Defence was on standby on Wednesday in case communities needed to be evacuated.

Two houses were evacuated for precautionary reasons.

On Wednesday, five planes, a helicopter and dozens of firetrucks from the Fire Department and Forestry Department were in the fight to put out the fire.