“Most tourists have been transferred to the north of the island,” the largest in Greece, he added, joined by phone.
Emergency message
On Thursday afternoon, another fire broke out about thirty kilometers from Athens, near Rafina, seaside resort and active port, especially for ferries for certain tourist islands.
The main road towards Athens was blocked in traffic, and according to the public television channel ERT the port authorities have prohibited a ferry from accostering.
“An emergency message for evacuation” of localities close to fire was sent to mobile phones, also said on ERT, Kostas Tsigas, a fire department.
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Ten planes were deployed to fight fire, he said.
In neighboring Turkey, two fires have ravaged the forests since Wednesday evening on both sides of the city of Izmir, driven by changing winds of more than 85 km/h which complicate the work of firefighters, according to local officials.
In Crete, according to Mr. Tzarakis, damage is important in the region of the city of Irapetra, and particularly in Agia Fotia, where “the whole ecosystem was burned as well as a tavern by the sea”.
Reinforcements have been sent from Athens to help local firefighters whose task is made difficult by the intensity of the winds that blow in the region.
Some 270 firefighters, 10 helicopters and drones are fighting against the flames, said Vassilios Vathrakoyannis, spokesperson for firefighters.
Fronts disparates
“There are still many disparate fronts, the fire burns brushwood and crops, the wind is very strong up to 9 Beaufort,” said this spokesperson.
The fight against fire is made particularly difficult by the accidental and arid terrain in this part of the largest island in Greece.
According to media, houses and cultures, especially greenhouses, have been damaged in this region producing vegetables and fruit.
In addition to agriculture, which has 23,000 inhabitants, is a seaside resort. As on the rest of the island, the tourist season is in full swing.
The month of July is “the hottest summer in summer and the risk of fire is still very strong,” said the spokesperson for the Greek firefighters.
Greece has so far been spared by the wave of heat wave which strikes part of Europe, in particular Spain, Portugal and France.
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But from this weekend, temperatures will increase again and reach up to 43 ° C in certain regions, according to the weather forecast for the ERT channel.
The risk of fire also remains very high on Friday in several regions of Greece.
Located in south-eastern Europe on the Mediterranean, Greece is particularly vulnerable to fires each summer, powered by strong winds, drought and high temperatures.
In 2024, Greece experienced its hottest summer.
Some 45,000 hectares had been burned, according to WWF Greece and the National Observatory of Athens.
But 2023 remains the most destructive year in terms of burnt area with nearly 175,000 hectares who left for smoke and 20 dead.
The country was then struck by prolonged heat waves with temperatures reaching 46 ° C locally.
