Helicopter called to douse Karpaz flames

THERE was “panic” last Saturday after a fire broke out in the Karpaz peninsula.

The blaze started on the side of the Dipkarpaz-Zaferburnu main road and was thought to have been caused by a lit cigarette butt or a piece of broken glass.

Crews from the Yeşilköy Fire Brigade, the Forestry Department and Dipkarpaz Municipality reached the scene quickly and prevented a “major disaster”, reports said, as the fire, which started at around 1pm on the southern part of the main road in the spot known as the Livana Hotel area, spread rapidly through dry weeds.

While the crews continued their efforts to extinguish the fire on the ground, a firefighting helicopter provided support from the air. After the fire was brought under control and extinguished, cooling work was carried out in the area for several hours. Approximately 20 dönüms of land containing maquis vegetation, stubble and trees were damaged in the fire.