Newsroom
Cigarette butts found at the scene of the Limassol mountain blaze that killed two people will undergo forensic testing, Cyprus’ police chief told lawmakers Friday, as officials clashed over whether the fire should be treated as arson.
Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis confirmed investigators are analyzing the butts cited in a U.S. expert report as the likely ignition source. While Fire Service Chief Nikos Longinos insisted the case amounts to arson, “If a lighter causes a fire, it’s arson, so why not when 20 cigarettes are tossed?” Arnaoutis said no evidence so far directly implicates anyone.
The police chief also defended the handling of evacuations, noting the couple who died ignored advice to take a safe route out of their village. “Everyone else was led to safety,” he said.
Lawmakers pressed ministers, police and fire officials in a marathon joint committee session, with more hearings expected. Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou called mega-fires “our new reality,” while Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou pledged stronger evacuation planning and more firefighting resources.
