Newsroom
Fires and garbage are becoming a dangerous mix in the Paphos district, where local leaders warn that illegal dumping is turning entire communities into firetraps, and authorities are nowhere to be found.
“We’re surrounded by trash, and no one’s doing anything,” said Charalambos Savva, the community leader of Agia Marinouda, a village near Paphos. He says areas between Agia Marinouda, Konia, Marathounta, and Agia Varvara have become hotspots for illegal dumping, with piles of old furniture, broken appliances, rubble, wood, and other waste now scattered across empty lots and fields.
The latest fire broke out at the main landfill’s sanitary site, prompting renewed fears among nearby residents. While some cleanup was carried out after the blaze, Savva says many illegal dump sites remain, posing a constant threat, especially during the dry summer months.
He’s also raising the alarm about a long-abandoned quarry in Marathounta, which he says has been left to rot since its closure, despite repeated warnings.
“These communities are at serious risk,” Savva said. “We need proper inspections, environmental studies, and action. Because the next fire could be far worse.”
