Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers are trying to prevent a massive forest fire on the island of Cyprus from spreading to residential areas on Monday evening.
The fire broke out about 15 km northwest of the coastal city of Limassol, an area frequented by many tourists, the fire department said.
Villages threaten the villages of Bashna, Kisusa and Fawni, prompting the authorities to carry out evacuations. Police closed several highways in the area northwest of Limassol due to heavy smoke.
Firefighting efforts by helicopters and planes stopped in the evening because of the darkness.
Temperatures in some parts of Cyprus have risen to near 40 degrees Celsius and strong winds have caused the flames to spread.
