On Thursday, wildfires raged through the island of Crete in Greece, with hundreds of firefighters working tirelessly to extinguish the flames. The wildfires destroyed vast areas of forests and olive groves, leading to the evacuation of over a thousand people.
According to reports from Reuters, the wildfires broke out a day earlier near the town of Ierapetra on the southeastern coast of Crete, the largest island in Greece. At least 230 firefighters and 46 fire trucks were dispatched to the scene to combat the fires, and helicopters were also mobilized to assist in the efforts.
Fire department officials and local authorities stated that the strong winds fueled the wildfires, causing them to spread to houses and hotels. Local media reported that some buildings were damaged, but fortunately, there were no casualties reported.
Dozens of residents and tourists were evacuated and taken to a temporary shelter in a sports hall in Ierapetra. Authorities mentioned that some individuals were evacuated from Crete by boat.
George Tsapakos, the deputy director of civil protection on Crete, informed local media that over 1,000 people from three settlements were evacuated.
Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a spokesperson for the fire department, stated that on Thursday, several extinguished fire locations reignited due to the strong winds, leading to intensified firefighting efforts by local firefighters and reinforcements from Athens.
He said, “Sudden high winds, reaching up to level 9, caused the fires to flare up again, hampering firefighting operations.”
He added that July is often the most challenging month during the wildfire season due to high temperatures and strong winds.
Greece, along with other Mediterranean countries, is located within what scientists term as the “wildfire hotspots” region, where hot and dry summers frequently lead to wildfires.
Authorities noted that the destructiveness of wildfires has been increasing in recent years due to the rapidly changing climate.
In recent days, a heatwave has sparked wildfires across Europe. In Turkey, wildfires have forced thousands to evacuate and resulted in at least 8 fatalities.