Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (C) attends the 108th session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, June 11, 2019. The International Labour Organization (ILO)'s annual International Labour Conference (ILC) runs from June 10-21, marking the 100th anniversary of the organization in Geneva. (Photo: Xinhua)

Cyprus on Saturday requested emergency assistance of planes from Israel and the EU to fight a wildfire fanned by strong winds and high temperatures that forced the evacuation of several villages.

President Nicos Anastasiades called it a "very difficult day," and thanked both Greece and Israel for responding positively to the appeal.

Janez Lenarcic, European commissioner for crisis management, said on Twitter its "aerial firefighting capacity" had been mobilized, with Italy and Greece also sending planes.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said "two firefighting planes" would be sent, which were expected to arrive on Sunday.

The intense fire spread from the southern Limassol district of Arakapa, destroying property but without any immediate report of casualties.

With Cyprus sweltering under a week-long heatwave and temperatures rising to 40 C, some villages in the nearby Larnaca district were also evacuated as a precaution.

Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides told the official CNA news agency that Cyprus had requested assistance.

"We have requested four aircraft which will be thrown into the battle to extinguish the fires," the minister said.

The fire is raging on several fronts, with off-duty personnel called in to help with the firefighting effort.

Over 20 firefighting vehicles, six helicopters and four planes are already fighting the flames, assisted by British troops and equipment stationed on the Mediterranean island.

Dense smoke could be seen in the southern resort town of Larnaca, 40 kilometers down the coast from Limassol, with the sun turning a "blood orange" color.

AFP