A fire broke out in a third-floor apartment in Engomi on Sunday morning after an oil heater ignited on the terrace, the fire brigade said on Monday.

In a statement, the department said it received a report at 8.53am about the blaze in a residential building in the Nicosia district.

Three fire engines and a hydraulic telescopic platform from Nicosia fire stations were dispatched to the scene.

The fire was brought under control by 9.25am.

Smoke from the blaze caused damage to paintwork on the veranda walls. Residents evacuated the building as a precaution before firefighters arrived.

The fire brigade added that between 6am on February 15 and 6am on February 16 it responded to 32 incidents in total.

Of these, 14 were fires, 16 involved special services and two were false alarms.