The Fire Service reported that a total of 40 wildfires have broken out across the country since Wednesday.
ATHENS, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Two major wildfires, one on the island of Crete and another near the port town of Rafina east of Athens, have forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents and tourists, Greek authorities said on Thursday.
No casualties have been reported, but dozens of homes have sustained damage, and large areas of farmland and forest have been scorched. Authorities are still assessing the full extent of the damage.
Thick smoke from the wildfire in the Attica region blanketed areas near Athens International Airport, temporarily disrupting operations and causing flight delays, according to the national broadcaster ERT.
On Crete, approximately 230 firefighters were deployed to battle a blaze that broke out on Wednesday afternoon near the city of Ierapetra, Fire Service officials said during a press briefing.
Around 5,000 people were evacuated from coastal resorts and nearby settlements starting late Wednesday, following warnings issued by the Fire Brigade, Giorgos Tzarakis, president of the Southeastern Crete Hoteliers Association, told the Greek news agency AMNA.
Efforts to contain the blaze were hampered by gale-force winds reaching up to 9 on the Beaufort scale, which grounded firefighting aircraft for several hours. Firefighters faced difficult terrain as they worked to contain the flames.
Evacuees were temporarily accommodated in a sports complex in Ierapetra. Authorities issued additional evacuation orders for four more villages on Thursday.
Meanwhile, strong winds also fueled a separate wildfire that erupted on Thursday on the outskirts of Rafina. The fire quickly spread across a 7-kilometer front toward Pikermi, a suburb of Athens.
About 170 firefighters, supported by 17 aircraft and seven helicopters, were mobilized to combat the blaze, according to the Fire Service. Approximately 350 residents were evacuated from three settlements in the Attica region.
The Fire Service reported that a total of 40 wildfires have broken out across the country since Wednesday. ■
