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Greece/ Fire "scorches" southern Crete, forcing over 1,500 people to flee homes and hotels

Politiko 2025-07-03 16:29:57

Greece/ Fire "scorches" southern Crete, forcing over 1,500 people to

A wildfire caused by strong winds has swept through southern Crete, forcing the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from homes and hotels.

The blaze, which broke out near the village of Aklia, in the Ierapetra area on the southern coast of the Greek island, engulfed forests and farmland overnight into Thursday.

Crews battled the flames with 230 firefighters and 10 aircraft dropping water from the air.

Some residents were evacuated by boat and the coast guard kept six ships on standby for further rescue operations at sea. Several homes were damaged as the flames spread through forests on hillsides, fanned by strong winds.

"It's a very difficult situation," said Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official.

"The fire is difficult to control. Right now, they can't stop it."

Evacuated tourists were taken to a nearby basketball arena and to hotels in safer parts of the island, while alerts were issued on cellphones, urging residents to leave immediately and not return to protect their homes.

As the fire approached residential areas, clouds of ash filled the sky and emergency vehicles filled the roads near the resorts of Ferme and Akhlia. Several people were treated for breathing problems, but no serious injuries were reported.

Forest fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers - and the fire risk remains high across Crete and southern Greece, according to the fire service.

This disaster is reminiscent of the deadly 2018 fire in Mati, near Athens, where more than 100 people lost their lives - many trapped in their homes or forced into the sea to escape the flames.

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