More than 250 firefighters were deployed to battle the fire, which has been fanned by strong winds on soaring temperatures.<\/p>\n
The country’s Department of Meteorology has issued an extreme maximum temperature alert for Thursday, with a high of 44C expected in inland areas.<\/p>\n
Cyprus Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis said there were “no active fronts” in the fire, but “flare-ups” continued in the area. <\/p>\n
Several communities have been left without electricity or air conditioning as a result of the blaze, which tore through properties.<\/p>\n
“When I entered my house, I saw the mountain and the valley full of flames,” Antonis Christou, who lives in Kandou, one of the villages affected by the fire, told the AFP agency.<\/p>\n
“I cried, really I cried, because people got burnt”.<\/p>\n
Neighbouring countries have been asked to support the firefighting effort by the Cypriot government.<\/p>\n
Cyprus has requested support for its firefighting effort through the European Union’s civil protection mechanism.<\/p>\n
Spain is expected to send two aircraft on Thursday, government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.<\/p>\n
Two firefighting aircraft are on standby in Jordan, while two more are expected from Spain, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told public broadcaster CyBC.<\/p>\n
Witness testimony which suggests the fire was started deliberately has been passed onto police by the fire service. <\/p>\n
Europe has faced searing temperatures this summer during heatwaves, with wildfires also taking hold in the Greek island of Crete, Turkey and Spain. <\/p>\n
Cyprus, which is facing a drought, is routinely hit by wildfires during the summer months. <\/p>\n