Two district workers arrested in Limassol fire

Police arrested two employees of the Limassol District Administration in connection with a fire, which broke out while fire fighters were battling another fire elsewhere.

According to police, a 59-year-old worker and his supervisor were arrested in connection with the fire that broke out Thursday at 1:30pm near the eastern boundaries of Limassol district, between the villages Vikla and Klonari.

The worker told police investigators that his supervisor had told him to cut down weeds using a lawn mower in order to clear out the courtyard at the church of Ayios Ioannis Lambadistis.

During his task, a fire broke out that eventually spread over 6000 square metres, about 1.5 acres in the Vikla-Klonari area.

Media reports said that in order to put out the fire, resources had to be moved away from another site where a bigger fire was raging in Apsiou, closer to the centre of the district, burning down about ten acres of wild vegetation in difficult to reach areas.

The Apsiou fire was eventually put out after private tank tread vehicles joined the effort and cleared the way for fire engines to get closer to the fire.

Helicopters and a small plane of the Forest Department were also used in the operation, some of which left to take part in the Vikla-Klonari fire.

The two Limassol district employees were charged and later released from custody.