Newsroom
A quick-thinking driver may have given police their best lead in the search for a suspected arsonist after she allegedly saw someone deliberately start a fire near Kornos on Sunday afternoon.
The woman reportedly watched as a person used fireworks to set dry grass alight and then left the area by car.
Rather than simply driving on, she photographed the vehicle and sent the images to police. She then used water she had in her car to extinguish the flames before they could spread.
National fire coordinator Nikos Longinos disclosed the incident during a visit to Pachna, where representatives of the Federation of Cypriot American Organizations were presenting financial assistance for protective clothing for volunteer firefighters.
Longinos said police are now searching for a specific person connected to the vehicle in the photographs.
The person has not been arrested, and police have not publicly explained what may have motivated the alleged act.
The incident could easily have ended differently. In the middle of Cyprus’ dry summer, a small flame in roadside grass can quickly reach nearby trees, homes or passing vehicles, particularly when temperatures are high and winds begin to pick up.
This time, the fire was stopped before a full emergency response was needed.
The driver’s photographs could now help investigators trace the person involved and establish what happened.
Her actions also spared firefighters from being called to another potentially dangerous blaze during one of the busiest and most hazardous periods of the year.
Police investigations are continuing.
