Cause of major fire in Limassol — unattended cigarette butt

According to the newspaper Fileleftheros and experts from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a major fire in the Limassol area on July 23 started due to two unattended cigarette butts. The report, published on August 29, 2025, indicates that the fire origin was located near the Mallia–Arsos highway on an area of approximately 30×30 cm.

Experts found several cigarette butts in the fire area; two of them showed thermal damage. The butts were handed over to local authorities for further investigation, including DNA analysis to identify the individuals who discarded them. ATF classified the fire as an "accident."

The report notes that the fire started at 13:26 and within 17 minutes covered 1.5 hectares, and after 29 minutes about 2 hectares; flames reached the village of Mallia. The spread was facilitated by a temperature of about 39°C, low humidity (~19%), abundance of dry grass, and strong wind — up to 9 Beaufort, allowing the fire to advance 60–63 m per minute.

For residents of Northern Cyprus, this means high danger during hot and windy weather: an unattended cigarette butt can lead to rapid fire spread. Authorities continue the investigation and urge compliance with fire safety rules.