Fresh efforts to contain the blaze in the breakaway north’s Kantara area began again early on Friday since a change of winds on Thursday evening dashed hopes it had come under control.
Turkish Cypriot press reports also said that firefighting efforts with the use of helicopters are now focusing on the villages of Flamoudi and Ardana. And that they will soon be strengthened with firefighting aircraft of both the Cyprus Republic’s and of Israel.
The massive fire rages since Tuesday with information gathered by drones showing that it had burned through 12,000 acres of land by noon Thursday.
Israel has sent two firefighting planes and a transport aircraft to help the firefighters’ efforts on the eastern part of the Turkish-held Kyrenia mountain range.
The Cyprus News Agency reported that the decision to dispatch the aircrafts was taken by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid after the Cypriot government officially asked for help in their firefighting operation.
The Israeli firefighting planes landed at Larnaca airport on Thursday.
