A son is desperately trying to help his dad rebuild his life after his home and work tools were destroyed in wildfires.
Louis Anastasi, who lives in Teynham, was “shocked” to hear that the family home in Cyprus had gone up in flames the day after he flew back to Kent.
The 27-year-old said: “He’s had to throw everything away and has got a shipping container to empty the house.
“They’re having to strip walls, remove all the furniture and take the ceilings down.
“They’ve had to throw away all their clothes. Everything they own is damaged.
“There’s not much to save. It’s a full restart that’s needed, unfortunately.”
His dad, Paul Anastasi, moved out to Pano Kivides in Limassol, Cyprus, around 10 years ago.
It is where the 51-year-old met his partner, Chrystalla Paraskeva, and carried on his trade as a plasterer and handyman.
Since then, Louis has visited once or twice a year. He recently flew out to celebrate his cousin’s wedding on July 16 for a week.
On July 24, the day after everyone flew home, a wildfire tore through southern Cyprus and spread quickly due to strong winds and high temperatures.
It killed two people and more than a dozen others have been treated for injuries.
There were reports that the blaze started in Malia, another village approximately 11km from Pano Kivides.
“My dad was on the balcony sending me videos of it,” Louis recalled. “It was miles and miles away.
“As time went on, it got closer. The main reason he left was because of the smoke and he had no belief that it would ever get to the property.
“I was asking him if he could get out and take all the stuff with him, but he ended up leaving with a rucksack each and stayed at his sister’s house, around 40 minutes away.
“He then got a call from his neighbours saying that the village was up in flames and his home was on fire.”
He added: “We were watching the news and I kept looking at the map to see where the wildfire was being recorded.
“I knew he was safe, but it was just a shock more than anything.”
Not only is Paul dealing with the aftermath of the fire, but he is also a full-time carer for Chrystalla, 55, who has stage 4 liver cancer.
They are currently staying in temporary accommodation in a nearby hotel room provided by the government.
However, Louis says they have to find another place to live by the end of August.
Because of this, he has launched a GoFundMe page to try to generate as much money as possible for the couple.
His dad has been quoted roughly €100,000 to rebuild the house, which is badly smoke-damaged.
There will be additional costs for furniture, clothing and the tools needed to restart his business.
“I’m trying to send him as much of my money as I can, but the amount it is adding up to is far more than just me and my friends can pull together,” Louis added.
“There have been reports recently saying that the government will help, but when and how, they’re not confirming.
“It’s a waiting game at the moment to see what’s going on. That’s the hardest thing.”
At the time of writing, more than £1,200 has been raised.
Click here if you’d like to contribute.
Louis said: “It means a lot. My dad would never show his emotions, but the other day he admitted that he was in tears after seeing that people had donated.
“He didn’t expect it and was really touched.”
