Chloraka restaurant fire was deliberately set, investigators find

A fire that tore through a ground-floor restaurant in Chloraka before dawn Wednesday was no accident, investigators have found.

Police said examinations carried out at the scene confirmed that the blaze was deliberately set, turning what initially appeared to be an overnight fire into an arson investigation.

The fire broke out at about 3:03 a.m., while most of the surrounding neighbourhood was asleep.

Two fire engines from Paphos Fire Station were sent to the restaurant, and firefighters brought the blaze under control by 3:25 a.m. Their quick response prevented the flames from spreading further.

The restaurant, however, suffered extensive damage from both the fire and the intense heat. Equipment inside the premises was also damaged.

For any small business owner in Cyprus, a fire like this is more than a damaged building. It can mean lost income, employees left without work and months spent trying to repair what was destroyed in a matter of minutes.

Following their inspection, authorities concluded that the fire had been started maliciously.

Police have not released information about a possible motive or any suspects.