Greece wildfires: Crete hotels and homes evacuated as 150 firefighters tackle flames

Hotels and homes have been evacuated at one of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations following the rapid spread of huge wildfires.

Authorities said evacuations were ordered at three sites in Crete outside the port of Ierapetra on the island’s south coast. Homes were reported damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds.

The fires lit up the night sky, cresting ridgelines and edging toward residential areas. Several residents were treated for breathing difficulties, officials said, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

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More than 150 firefighters were operating in the area, while water-dropping planes and helicopters remained grounded overnight. It comes just days after tens of thousands of people have fled their homes as ferocious wildfires rage across Turkey.

For the past three days, forest fires whipped up by robust winds have wreaked havoc in İzmir, which sits in the west of the country in an area loved by British tourists. Those flying into the region have captured videos of the sky burning orange above the city of 2.9 million, with great plumes of smoke billowing up off the tinder-box dry countryside.

Helicopter pilots and on-the-ground firefighters are working side-by-side with teams of citizens who are determined to save as much of their land and as many of their homes as possible. They used tractors with water trailers and helicopters carrying water to douse the charred hillsides.

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