(Releads, adds detail) NICOSIA, June 29 (Reuters) - Cyprus was being ravaged by one of the worst forest fires in decades on Friday, razing holiday homes and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people from its scenic mountains. The blaze, fanned by strong winds and a scorching heatwave, spread rapidly, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky, visible from the capital Nicosia, about 55 km (30 miles) away. Witnesses said mountains were burning on the pine-covered Troodos range, one of the most scenic areas of the holiday island famed for its medieval chapels, several of them declared world heritage sites by the U.N. cultural organisation UNESCO. "We want whoever can use a shovel up here," local MP Yiannakis Thoma told the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation. "This is a terrible situation. We are trying to get help from other countries," said Agriculture Minister Photis Photiou. Air units from the British military bases and the U.N. contingents in Cyprus were helping to fight the fires. Planes were expected from Italy on Friday and from Israel on Saturday. At least two villages were evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze. Although forest fires in Cyprus are common, they are usually on a much smaller scale, and in recent years their incidence had dropped markedly.
