Wednesday's huge fire that devastated 14 kilometres of brush land in the Larnaca and Limassol districts was the work of arsonists, it emerged yesterday.

Despite initial reports that suggested the fire was a result of a re-ignition of a small fire in the area, the Fire Services yesterday said that the blaze appeared to be an arson attack.

Fire Department Chief Andreas Nicolaou confirmed that the fire that caused the evacuation of a large number of homes in the six villages of Ora, Akapnou, Vasa, Kelaki, Sanida and Klonari was almost certainly not caused due to the re-ignition of a fire outside the village of Ora on Sunday because it was too far away.

Forestry Department Chief Aristos Ioannou said that arson attacks were not uncommon.

"There are many arson attacks that take place in the area. Even last Thursday a fire in the village of Parekklisia was the work of arsonists," he said.

"However, this information is not always given to the media for obvious reasons. We do not want to be giving details about how people manage to set fires to the forest."

The exact circumstances surrounding the reasons behind the fire are expected to be revealed today.

Fire Services as well as units from the National Guard remained on standby on Wednesday night and all day yesterday to guard against the prospect of the fire being re-ignited.

Throughout the day yesterday, fire brigades were called upon to put out smouldering trees and brush land which threatened to trigger a new blaze, with fire-fighting helicopters called upon to join the effort in the afternoon to battle a small resurgence of the fire just outside the village of Klonari.

According to the spokeswoman of the Fire Services, Liza Kemijee, a large presence of firemen and fire engines were to remain in the area last night and a decision would be made this afternoon whether they should remain there for an additional night.

Of the twelve firemen that were injured in the blaze, eleven had suffered only minor injuries, while the only person who was still in hospital was Deputy Fire Department Chief Charalambos Charalmbous.

Charalambous is being treated for burns on both hands and is also suffering from a dislocated shoulder caused when he attempted to save a group of firemen from being engulfed in the flames. Charalambous will require surgery and may remain in hospital for up to two months.

Local residents were critical of the authorities with many of them claiming that the Fire Service was too quick to leave the area after Sunday's fire, while others accused them of not being organised enough in their efforts to battle the blaze.

The government was not immune from criticism either, with opposition party DISY deputy leader, Averof Neophytou, indicating that Wednesday's devastation caused by the fire highlighted the lack of fire-fighting resources available to the authorities by saying that "we should not be expected to fight these major fires with water-pistols".