Greece holiday warning as one island loved by British tourists is evacuated
Strong winds have made the task even more difficult for the crews on the ground, who were being supported by a large fleet of 13 waterbombing aircraft and eight helicopters.
Greece has flown additional firefighters to an island beloved by British holidaymakers as over 2,000 wildfires broke out all over the country this summer amid unusually high temperatures.
The extra personnel were sent to the southern island of Crete on Thursday, where 250 firefighters tackled a fire that sparked evacuations for eight villages in mountainous areas.
The blaze reportedly ripped through olive groves, farmland and scrub, causing damage to irrigation networks but it's not thought to pose an immediate threat to the coast's popular tourist resorts currently.
40 members of a specialist unit from Athens joined the efforts to tame the flames in the island's central Rethymno area late on Thursday, the fire service said, with a first team sent on Wednesday.
The latest deployment brings the ground forces to almost 300, AP reports. Thankfully, no injuries or severe damage to homes have yet been reported.
Strong winds have made the task even more difficult for the crews on the ground, who were being assisted by a large fleet of 13 waterbombing aircraft and eight helicopters.
The aircraft stopped flying when night fell, though firefighters hoped to be helped by a lull in the wind overnight.
Greek authorities warn this summer's fires carry the highest fire risk in the past two decades as the country swelters in scorching temperatures linked to climate change.
As with previous summers, most of the fires have been brought under control before they caused extensive devastation or fatalities.
The fire in Rethymno began on Wednesday and had initially been contained following a lull in high winds overnight but after daybreak, it intensified.
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Greece: Wildfires hit Attica region amidst heatwave
Greece had a mild, dry winter before a dry, hot spring, with the tinder-dry vegetation making it easy for flames to spread quickly.
The government invested more firefighting assets to address the threat, including early warning drones and water-dropping aircraft. The fire service said yesterday afternoon that 35 wildfires had broken out across the country over the past 24 hours.
The UK Foreign Office's travel advice for Greece warns of a "high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October," cautioning travellers that the blazes are "dangerous and unpredictable".
The FCDO said Visitors are advised to be cautious if near an area affected by wildfires and:
- follow @112Greece for official updates
- follow the guidance of the emergency services
- call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger
- contact your airline or travel operator who can assist you with return travel to the UK
Register for alerts from the Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service (in Greek):
- for iPhones go to Settings > Notifications and enable the ‘Emergency Alerts’ option at the bottom
- for Android 11 and higher go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts
- for Samsung devices go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Notifications > Emergency Notifications and enable the ‘Emergency Alerts’ option
Further information is available on Greece’s Civil Protection website (in Greek).
