Wildfire Forces Evacuations on Crete as Heatwave Grips Europe
A wildfire, intensified by strong winds, has led to the evacuation of over 1,500 people on the Greek island of Crete, officials reported, as much of mainland Europe endured an early summer heatwave linked to at least nine fatalities.
Approximately 230 firefighters, along with 46 vehicles and helicopters, were working to contain the flames on Thursday after the fire erupted a day earlier near Ierapetra on the island’s southeastern coast, endangering homes and hotels.
Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a fire service spokesperson, stated: “Strong wind gusts, reaching up to 9 on the Beaufort scale, have caused the fire to reignite and hampered containment efforts.” Four nearby settlements were cleared as a precaution.
Authorities said residents and tourists had sought refuge in an indoor stadium, with some leaving Crete by boat. Reports indicated several homes had suffered damage, while an additional 5,000 visitors independently departed the region.
Ierapetra, a coastal town with a population of 23,000, attracts numerous tourists each summer. The island’s dry, rugged terrain, marked by deep ravines, complicates firefighting efforts.
Meanwhile, another blaze burned in Greece’s Halkidiki region, requiring 160 firefighters and 49 vehicles, while in Turkey, thousands fled wildfires in the western province of Izmir.
An elderly man died in a fire near Odemis, about 62 miles east of Izmir, in one of three evacuated villages. A local official stated: “The village was cleared, but a bedridden resident could not be rescued.”
Vathrakogiannis warned that wildfire risks remain “extremely high” in July, Greece’s hottest month, even as the country mostly avoided the extreme heat affecting southern and central Europe.
In eastern Germany, nearly 500 firefighters fought wildfires near the Saxony-Brandenburg border, where two responders were injured and over 100 people evacuated. The flames had spread across hundreds of hectares of heathland, with parts inaccessible due to unexploded ordnance in a former military zone.
While France’s southeastern region recorded temperatures up to 36°C, Spain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Croatia also faced mid-30s heat on Thursday. Italy issued red alerts for 18 cities, including Rome and Milan, warning of dangerous conditions for all residents. Rome officials additionally cautioned of possible power outages.
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