Knife pulled in firewood rights dispute

A man is under arrest for injuring another man with a knife during a dispute over the rights to firewood in an open field in Limassol.

According to local media, a 27-year-old male, who was looking for firewood, went to a village in Limassol district where there were tree trunks and brunches in an open field.

Shortly after his arrival, a 52-year-old man came up to him and complained, saying the trees belonged to him and he would not give him permission to chop wood.

The two Limassol residents then had a heated exchange and the older man pulled out a knife. Reports said the during the attack the younger male was injured on the right arm, and then a physical fight ensued with the 52-year-old giving up and running away.

The injured man was taken to the Emergency Room at Limassol General Hospital where doctors said he had knife wounds on the right hand and elbow as well as bruises on his shoulder blade.

The injured man was later released from hospital while his attacker was later detained on an arrest warrant.

It was not clear whether the trees were cut down legally or whether any of the two men had permission to chop firewood.

The Forest Department can make whole trees available to people who want to chop firewood, as long as fees are paid and proper permits are given in advance. It is understood that loggers can only cut “ready trees” such as burned or dried out trees, which can be chopped for firewood lawfully.