THOUSANDS of tourists and locals have been evacuated from their homes and hotels as raging wildfires engulf a Greek holiday hotspot.
Hundreds of fire crew rushed to the scene on Greece’s southern island of Crete last night.
Some 160 firefighters with seven forest commando teams, 49 vehicles, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle team and Volunteers are currently tackling the flames.
And water tankers and construction machinery from the Region of Central Macedonia are providing assistance.
The local Fire Department Operations Center confirmed the blaze broke out at noon yesterday in Vourvourou, Halkidiki.
The fire department’s spokesperson, Chief Vasilios Vathrakoyannis, said: “By order of Fire Chief Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias, Arson Crime Response Teams have gone to Halkidiki and Ierapetra to investigate the causes of the fires.
“We are entering the third and most difficult month of the fire season.
“July is historically characterized as the hottest month accompanied by strong winds.
“These conditions favor the spread of fires and increase their danger.
“We remind you that the obligation of all of us to keep our land and uncovered areas of property clean significantly reduces the risk of fires.”
Over 1,500 people fled the wild blaze and six people were hospitalised for breathing problems.
Some 270 firefighters battled the blaze and were backed up by 10 water-dropping aircrafts.
Evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island’s south coast, officials confirmed.
Despite the size of the wildfires there have been no immediate reports of serious injuries.
The authorities have put in place a series of safety measures on Santorini until November, including at the Old Port of Fira, the eastern part of the settlement of Armeni Oia and the Ammoudi Settlement.
IRISH TOURIST ADVICE
The Department of Foreign Affairs warned Irish tourists that the wildfire risk is “expected to intensify” over the next few weeks.
They said: “Greece is currently facing several wildfires following high summer temperatures and subsequent heatwaves.
“The risk of wildfires is expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
“In the case of a wildfire, the authorities will issue notifications regarding evacuations via the 112 message service to all mobile phones in the area.
“These will be provided in both English and Greek, and we would ask citizens to follow any advice received from local authorities.”
PROPERTIES DESTROYED
In the midst of a heatwave, properties and homes were destroyed as the inferno swept through hillside forests.
The fire was fueled by strong winds with gusts of up to 72mph hampering efforts to contain the flames.
And the blaze is now raging on three separate fronts – Ferma, Achlia and Schinokapsala.
Five fire engines and crews arrived by boat after a C-130 military plane airlifted additional teams from Athens shortly after midnight.
Authorities issued emergency warnings for villages including Agia Fotia, Galini, Ferma and Koutsounari.
Dense black smoke spread across the sea near Makrys Gialos as the night sky turned orange.
Holidaymakers were rescued from beaches by boat and others were removed from hotels.
They were relocated to temporary shelters, including an indoor basketball arena in Ierapetra.
Civil protection official Nektarios Papadakis said: “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.”
SPRAWLING FLAMES
Emergency services warned that the wildfire has sprawled to a length of at least 6km, making it more challenging for crews to tackle the blaze.
In Agia Fotia, the area is in blackout from an ongoing power outage.
Vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told RTE that holidaymakers “were safely transferred” to temporary accommodation.
He said: “At the moment, there are three active fronts. Due to the strong winds, the fire has progressed quite rapidly.”
A spokesman for the fire service, Vassilios Vathrakoyannis, said 270 firefighters, 10 helicopters and drones were deployed to tackle the blaze near the city of Ierapetra.
He added: “There are still a number of different fronts… The winds are very strong – up nine on the Beaufort scale.”
An assessment of possible damage to infrastructure and homes will be carried out when the firefighting work is completed.
The fire in Vourvourou, Halkidiki, is currently without an active front and firefighters are carrying out waterlogging along its entire perimeter.
