Firefighters struggled Thursday to contain a large wildfire on the southern Greek island of Crete, as powerful gale-force winds intensified the flames.
Thousands of people were evacuated overnight from hotels and homes after the fire ignited Wednesday afternoon near the Ierapetra region along the island’s southern coast, officials reported.
Giorgos Tzarakis, head of the hoteliers’ association for Ierapetra and southeastern Crete, told local media that approximately 5,000 tourists had been evacuated, and several homes and businesses suffered damage.
By Thursday morning, about 230 firefighters supported by 10 helicopters dropping water were working to combat the fire spreading through forest and farmland.
Winds reaching speeds up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour continually sparked new flare-ups, complicating firefighting efforts, said fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.
During the night, two people were evacuated by boat, and six private vessels stood ready in case more sea evacuations were necessary, according to the coast guard.
Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official from the regional authority, said that evacuated tourists were relocated to an indoor basketball arena and hotels elsewhere on the island.
Several residents experienced breathing difficulties but no serious injuries were reported.
Authorities issued mobile alerts urging residents to evacuate and warned them not to return in an effort to protect their property.
As the fire spread along ridgelines and approached residential zones overnight, thick clouds of ash filled the sky, illuminated by emergency vehicles’ headlights along coastal roads near the popular resorts of Ferma and Achlia in southeast Crete.
Crete remains a top destination for both international and domestic tourists.
The Fire Service’s daily report warned that wildfire risk remained very high across Crete and other parts of southern Greece.
Wildfires are common in Greece during its hot, dry summers, and this year the fire department has already responded to dozens of such incidents nationwide.
In 2018, a devastating wildfire in Mati, a coastal town east of Athens, trapped many residents and visitors. Over 100 people died, some drowning while attempting to escape the flames by swimming.
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