Britain, Israel and Greece are working together to help Cyprus tackle a massive forest fire, which is reported to be the biggest Cyprus has seen in years.
Police suspect that the fire was started by a 12-year-old boy near his family’s holiday home in the area. High temperatures and winds fanned the fire that spread across a huge forest area.
Anastasiades said the damage due to the fire was “irreparable”.
The IDF said in a statement it would “continue to provide assistance and knowledge it has acquired in dealing with this sort of fire.”
On Saturday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched three Israeli firefighting aircraft to assist Cyprus authorities, with more reportedly going to be despatched.
“Last night I ordered that three of our firefighting aircraft, out of our fleet of 13 or 14, be sent to help them, and the planes are now in Cyprus. This is part of the regional arrangement we have made with Cyprus and Greece about emergency assistance. I am pleased that we are able to extend this assistance,” Netanyahu said at the opening of Sunday’s cabinet meeting.
In 2010, Cyprus answered Netanyahu’s emergency call for assistance and sent its only firefighting aircraft to aid Israeli crews in putting out a massive brush fire in the Carmel Mountains.
Read the whole story at The Times of Israel.
