Limassol: The two individuals who tragically lost their lives in the devastating wildfires in the mountainous area of Limassol had been informed of the road they should take, but they ignored it, Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis said on Friday, addressing a joint meeting of the parliamentary committees of Interior, Environment and Agriculture.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Police Chief stated that the issue is still under investigation by the Limassol CID and is in the final stages. He detailed that the couple departed at 19:55 from Silikou village and had been advised to follow the Trimiklini road towards Ayios Mamas. However, they diverged from this guidance and headed towards Alassa, a road that was closed shortly after at 20:05. Arnaoutis noted that other villagers, who gathered in the village square, were safely guided out.
Arnaoutis further explained that a death investigation is conducted in such cases before a court and refrained from providing more details at this time. In response to an inquiry from AKEL MP Aristos Damianou, Arnaoutis confirmed that the couple was advised of the road’s danger and chose to disregard the warning.
He also recommended future incidents be managed without unauthorized personnel at command stations and suggested a review of the PYRSOS plan along with further real-condition exercises. Arnaoutis proposed forming a joint investigation team between the Police and Fire Service to enhance the thoroughness and informativeness of investigations.
Meanwhile, Chief Fire Officer Nikos Longinos, addressing the parliamentary committee, reiterated his suspicion of arson in the Limassol wildfire, challenging a US experts’ report that attributed the fire to discarded cigarette butts. He questioned the presence of 20 scattered cigarette butts in a remote area, implying possible intentional fire-setting.
Longinos cited evidence of arson in other cases, pointing to an instance where eight fires erupted simultaneously in a sparsely populated village and fires that started at dawn in uninhabited areas. As an investigator, Longinos emphasized his expertise, noting he personally documented the area where the fire began, capturing images of the cigarette butts early on July 24.