Sharjah24 - AFP: Cyprus firefighters have put out a blaze that destroyed around 20 hectares (nearly 50 acres) of forest amid one of the longest heatwaves in the island's history, officials said Tuesday.
It was the worst fire Cyprus has faced this summer as it swelters under temperatures that have remained at 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) or above since July 12.
Met Office data shows it threatens to be the longest heatwave in recent history, as highs of more than 40C are expected to continue through the week.
Forestry department official George Constantinou said that the blaze –- in the remote and uninhabited Elitzies area of the island's forested central mountains -- was brought under control in an all-night effort after the fire started on Monday evening.
More than 100 firefighters, dozens of vehicles and seven aircraft were deployed to prevent the fire spreading through the Paphos Forest, which contains some of the island's largest cedar stands as well as pines and oaks.
A nearby British Royal Air Force base was put on standby to offer assistance, as it usually does during large fires.
Constantinou said luckily there were no flare-ups due to a lack of wind.
Forestry department chief Charalambos Alexandrou said he suspected an overhead electricity cable was the source of the blaze.
During the prolonged hot spell that has gripped the island, power demand has reached record levels. One person has died of heatstroke.
The severe heatwave has also been reflected in Greece and across much of southern Europe and North Africa.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said Tuesday that the heatwaves that have hit parts of Europe and North America this month would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change.
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