A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said on Thursday, July 3.
Hot, dry weather in Greece—not unusual for this time of year—has heightened the risk of a repeat of summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years.
On Crete, about 5,000 people were evacuated in response to a blaze that broke out Wednesday evening, the president of the regional hotels’ association told AFP on Thursday.
Yorgos Tzarakis said about 3,000 tourists and 2,000 residents had been moved, mostly overnight, as a “precaution” from areas close to the Crete resort town of Ierapetra.
Earlier, vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis said, “Evacuations took place in numerous hotels and tourists were safely transferred to a closed gymnasium in the municipality of Ierapetra.”
The authorities acted because water bomber planes could not reach the affected areas overnight, he added.
“At the moment, there are three active fronts,” Androulakis said. “Because of the strong winds, the fire has progressed quite rapidly.”
Around 270 firefighters, 10 helicopters, and drones have been deployed to tackle the blaze, said Vassilios Vathrakoyannis, a spokesman for the fire service.
