CyprusVista

The recent fire in the Troodos Mountains between Larnaca and Limassol has highlighted the very real danger of forest fires during Cyprus’s current drought.

With only minimal rainfall over the winter, the island is not only short of water in its reservoirs, but the land is also tinder-dry. It is not known what caused the forest fire that threatened the villages of Klonari, Akapnou, Vikla, Vasa, Kelaki and Sanida. Fanned by strong winds, the fire spread rapidly and engulfed almost 15 square kilometres of Troodos forest and olive groves.

However, the combined efforts of 300 firefighters, 95 vehicles and seven water-dropping aircraft, plus helicopters from the British base at Akrotiri, had the fire under control after just 48 hours, an impressive achievement.

Forest fires are dramatic headline makers, but the prevention of fires can be helped by small measures we can all take. All Cyprus residents are well aware of the need to be extra careful with any source of ignition during the dry Mediterranean summer, but tourists may not be.

So, if you are coming for a holiday in Cyprus this summer, here are our top three tips to help you help us!

1. Love Your Barbecue!
Your Cyprus rental villa barbecue deserves lots of careful attention! Place a bucket of water beside your barbecue before you even start to light it, just in case. (Rental villa owners, make sure there is a bucket under the sink or the barbecue for just such as purpose.) Once your barbecue is lit, never leave its side, and once the party is over, make sure the barbecue is fully extinguished before retiring to bed.

2. Stub It Out
For UK smokers used to braving the cold and rain now that smoking is banned in most buildings, the joy of being able to smoke outside in sunny Cyprus without freezing must be immense! However, always make sure you use an ashtray - never stub out cigarettes on the ground and just leave them. Use a lighter rather than matches wherever possible. Rental villa owners should leave ashtrays on patio tables to encourage safe outdoor smoking.

3. Bring a Torch
There can be few items as indispensable on holiday as a good torch, whether it’s guiding you back to your accommodation after a lovely meal in a local restaurant, or sitting by your child’s bedside in case of the occasional villa power cut. An electric torch is so much safer than the traditional standby of candles. Make sure you pack a good torch with fresh batteries every time you come to Cyprus, and leave the traditional rental villa power cut candles safely unlit in your rental villa kitchen drawer.

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