Crete has become the latest area of Greece to be hit by wildfire, with an overnight blaze wreaking havoc on the area and triggering evacuations of hotels and homes.
A fire was reported in the Ahlia area near the port town of Ierapetra on the south coast of Crete on Wednesday evening, prompting the evacuation of three sites, according to local authorities.
Homes have been hit by the flames that swept through hillside forests, with strong winds contributing to the damage.
“It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,” Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official at the regional authority, told the Associated Press.
“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.”
Authorities stated than more than 1,500 people so far had been moved out of homes and hotels, with the number expected to increase overnight.
The Fire Service and a civil protection agency issued mobile phone alerts for the evacuations and urged residents not to return to try and save their property.
Officials said several residents were treated for breathing difficulties, though there have been no immediate reports of serious injuries.
More than 150 firefighters were operating in the area, while water-dropping planes and helicopters remained grounded overnight.
Members of specialized units were creating hillside fire breaks to try and slow the advance of the blaze.
The risk of wildfires remained very high across Crete and parts of southern Greece on Thursday, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Fire Service.
