The fire at the Koutsoventis landfill could take days or even weeks to bring under control, according to Michalis Loizides, co-chair of the Technical Committee on the Environment, who says options for managing the incident remain limited.
Speaking to CNA, Loizides said the committee has been monitoring the situation since the fire broke out and has consulted scientists with expertise in landfill fires. He noted that while the blaze appears to be mainly on the surface, extinguishing it is unlikely to be a rapid process.
Efforts to contain the fire
Loizides said landfill fires involve more than the visible flames and smoke on the surface.
"It is positive that this is a surface fire and not one deep within the landfill," he said, adding that even so, several days or possibly weeks may be required before the fire is contained and smoke emissions cease.
According to reports cited by Loizides, the affected area extends across 20 to 25 hectares, making extinguishing operations particularly challenging.
He said authorities are expected to use bulldozers and other equipment to reduce the size of the affected area until the fire is confined to a much smaller zone that can be extinguished more effectively.
Calls for infrastructure improvements
Loizides noted that the site had been funded through European Union resources as a sanitary landfill facility.
He said the EU office responsible for monitoring funding provided to the Turkish Cypriot community could intervene to support structural improvements aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
According to Loizides, the EU could also require a new phase of planning and remediation if it determines that relevant operational protocols have not been followed.
Proposal for early warning system
Loizides called for the introduction of an early warning system on both sides of the island to provide residents with real-time information about concentrations of potentially harmful gases.
He said such a system could use monitoring equipment to measure toxic emissions and issue warnings when levels exceed thresholds that may affect public health.
According to Loizides, if pollution levels become severe, authorities should consider evacuating nearby areas. He said that, in his view, such measures may have been appropriate on the first day of the fire for communities located within two to three kilometres of the landfill.
Advice for residents
Loizides said many residents have been seeking advice on how to protect themselves and their families from the effects of the smoke.
He suggested that stronger cooperation with the Civil Defence authorities could improve public information and emergency notification systems.
Asked what precautions he would personally take, Loizides said he would remain indoors with his family when smoke odours are strong. He also said he uses an air purification system equipped with activated carbon filters.
"The stronger the smell, the more we should stay indoors or avoid the area by moving further away," he said.
Previous landfill fires cited
Loizides noted that similar fires at the Kotsiatis landfill had lasted for several weeks.
He also pointed out that easterly and north-easterly winds carrying smoke towards the government-controlled areas of Cyprus are relatively uncommon, although such conditions occurred for several hours during the past two days.
Source: CNA
