Akamas wildfire contained

A wildfire that broke out Wednesday morning near Akamas forest has been contained, but officials said it could have been a lot worse.

According to authorities, a fire broke out inside a ditch in Lara, Paphos district, on Wednesday morning. Forestry department officials said they are investigating the fire, while preliminary findings pointed to criminal activity, possibly arson.

Fire engines and earth movers were used along with man power to contain the fire.

No aerial support due to expired contracts

The head of the Forestry Department, Charalambos Alexandrou, also told the media that fire fighting aircraft had been unavailable, according to 24News.

As it turned out, the use of helicopters was not possible as their lease to the state had expired on October 31. Similarly, according to the official, the planes that could be used by the department were unavailable as pilot contracts had expired while one of the operators was away on training.

“The fire would have posed a danger had it escaped from the ditch where it started,” Alexandrou said.