The fire had burned more than 24,000 acres in Cyprus, where officials had warned of fire danger as temperatures rose above 100 degrees.

Aircraft from Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and Spain were on their way Thursday to help battle a huge wildfire in Cyprus that has claimed the lives of two people. Police were investigating reports that arsonists were to blame for the flames,

Firefighters in Cyprus were battling on Wednesday to contain a huge wildfire forcing the evacuation of at least four villages on the first day of a heatwave which sent temperatures soaring.