Firefighters continue to battle wildfire on Crete, village evacuated
More than 200 firefighters on the southern Greek island of Crete on Thursday continued to fight a large wildfire that forced authorities to evacuate one village and prepare others for evacuation.
At noon, an emergency message was sent to the residents of three settlements – Apodoulou, Agios Ioannis and Nithavri – to be ready to evacuate if needed.
According to information from the fire department, there was no single active front, but scattered outbreaks that are being dealt with by the reinforced forces.
The fire service said on Wednesday that 222 firefighters were battling the flames in the Rethymno district of western Crete, including 32 flown in from other parts of Greece.
There were no immediate reports of damage to homes or injuries, but the small village of Agia Paraskevi was evacuated as a precaution. Residents of three neighboring villages were also warned to be ready to leave their homes if necessary.
The fire raged through scrub and olive groves, driven on by high winds.
More than 2,000 wildfires have erupted all over Greece this summer, which authorities have warned carries the highest fire risk in the past two decades. That’s because a mild, dry winter followed by a dry, hot spring has left vegetation across the country tinder-dry, enabling flames to spread fast.
The fire in Rethymno that broke out on the border of the municipalities of Agios Vasilios and Amari is in full progress, with the firefighting forces fighting the flames all night long.
[ΑP]
