Greece (TDI): Wildfires have devastated Crete, Greece’s island and a famous tourist hotspot. Dozens of homes, hotels, and businesses have been destroyed. Hundreds of firefighters, helicopters, and emergency teams continue to battle to control the fires.
On Wednesday, the fire broke out in the afternoon near Ierapetra which is a small town on the island’s southeast coast due to unusually high temperatures 3 to 5 degrees Celsius above average and gale force winds of around 50 miles an hour.
According to fire officials, More than 230 firefighters, along with 46 vehicles and 10 helicopters have been deployed to fight the blaze.
The flames have spread very quickly and reached homes, hotels as well as tourists accommodations. It led to the mass evacuation of over 5,000 residents and tourists as flames, fanned by gale force winds, continued to rage.
This comes as the wildfire risk in the Mediterranean region spikes following an unprecedented heat wave across Europe.
About 1,500 people have been evacuated so far, according to the Greek public broadcaster ERT. About 1,200 of those were tourists, said the mayor, Manolis Frangoulis. There were no reports of injuries or deaths so far.
“We are entering the third and most difficult month of the fire season,” Fire Department Spokesman Vathrakoyannis said. July is typically the hottest month in Greece and is often accompanied by strong winds.
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“These conditions favor the spread of fires and increase their danger. Wind gusts of up to about 50 miles per hour were creating new spots and fronts, making the firefighting effort much more difficult,” he said.
Europe experiences wildfire every year but this year it’s more intense and frequent. Recently thousands of people were evacuated in Turkey as blazes ripped through Izmir and Manisa provinces. Blazes also broke out in France and Spain and two people died there.
Due to human-caused climate change such as rising greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and fossil fuel dependence are intensifying heatwaves and drying landscapes which is fuel for wildfires happening across the world.
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