Greek firefighters fought a raging wildfire on Crete on Wednesday, with the blaze burning through wooded lands and threatening houses and forcing residents and tourists to flee at least four villages.
The fire started in the afternoon within the Ierapetra municipality, on the southeastern coast of Crete. Spurred by strong winds, it spread rapidly and flared up repeatedly in various points, making it difficult to contain. At least 155 firefighters, with 38 fire engines and water tankers, had been sent to the scene, the fire brigade said. Reinforcements of personnel and aircraft were also being sent from Athens.
This is an extremely challenging fire and still very much active,” a spokesperson at the fire brigade said, citing both the fierce winds and rough terrain.
There were reports of some houses having been damaged, but there were no reports of casualties. Officially, Achlia and three other villages were evacuated by authorities. About 3,000 were evacuated to temporary camps established by local authorities.
Greece often has wildfires throughout its warm, dry summers, but authorities contend that climate change is making the fires hotter and more frequent.
Elsewhere in the country, unrelated wildfires were also raging. Firefighters were fighting a blaze on the island of Kythira and a another runaway fire in the north in the Chalkidiki region.
As firefighting crews pressed their work into the evening, Greek officials instructed residents and tourists in endangered areas to stay vigilant and obey evacuation warnings. The entire extent of the destruction is still under assessment.
