Wildfire sweeps Greek island of Crete, triggers mass evacuations
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Athens: A fast-moving wildfire, driven by gale-force winds, continued to rage uncontrollably through the night and into Thursday on Greece’s southern island of Crete, prompting the evacuation of over 1,500 people from homes and hotels.
The blaze, which has scorched large stretches of forest and farmland in the Ierapetra area on Crete’s southern coast, forced emergency services into a major response. The Greek fire department said 230 firefighters, assisted by 10 water-dropping aircraft, were actively battling the flames. The Coast Guard reported that two people had to be evacuated by boat overnight, while six private vessels were placed on standby for further evacuations if required.
Several homes were damaged as the fire swept through hillside forests, fuelled by strong winds. Clouds of ash filled the air as flames crested ridgelines and approached residential areas, while emergency vehicles and water trucks lined the coastal road near the resorts of Ferma and Achlia in southeastern Crete.
Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official with the regional authority, described the situation as extremely challenging. “It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,” he told The Associated Press overnight.
He confirmed that the tourists evacuated from the area were safe. “The tourists who were moved out are all okay. They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island,” Papadakis said.
The Fire Service, along with Greece’s civil protection agency, issued emergency mobile phone alerts urging people to evacuate and warning residents not to return to their homes in attempts to protect their property.
Officials stated that several individuals were treated for breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries have been reported.
Crete, a major destination for both foreign and domestic tourists, remained under high wildfire risk on Thursday, according to a daily bulletin from the Fire Service. Several parts of southern Greece were also under similar alerts.
Wildfires are a common threat in Greece during the hot, dry summer months. Firefighters have already tackled dozens of fires across the country this year. In a grim reminder of past tragedies, the nation still remembers the 2018 wildfire that tore through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, where more than 100 people lost their lives — many trapped in their homes or vehicles, while others drowned trying to flee the flames by sea.
With PTI inputs
