Man arrested in Troodos on suspicion of intentional forest arson

A 32-year-old man was detained on suspicion of setting fire to the forest in the Troodos mountains and, by decision of the Limassol court, was placed in custody for six days. In court, he explained that the fire occurred after an argument: according to him, his family forgot his birthday; the incident took place on the evening of September 4, when he was returning from work.

According to a local resident who witnessed the event, before the fire started, the suspect threw an object at the location where the fire began. Later, a clump of fuel oil was found at the site, which, as noted in the case, may indicate intentional arson. The man previously claimed that on his way to the Troodos square he threw three cigarette butts on the roadside and had no intention of starting a fire.

Police and fire department representatives classified the incident as intentional arson. Lefteris Kyriakou, head of the Limassol Police Criminal Investigation Department, reported the creation of an investigative team to promptly examine all data. Fire chief Nikos Longinos noted that recent arrests demonstrate that some people view arson as a way to solve personal problems. Platres community leader Dimitris Papafeodotu added that near the parents’ camp, a fire was lit, which fortunately was extinguished by a passerby.

The case remains under investigation; authorities are expected to establish the exact circumstances, and residents of mountainous areas are advised to report any fires to emergency services immediately.