Hundreds evacuated as wildfire rages on Greek island of Crete

HOT DRY WEATHER HAS HEIGHTENED RISK OF A REPEAT OF SUMMER WILDFIRES

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A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of residents and tourists, officials said yesterday.

Hot dry weather in Greece, which is not unusual for this time of year, has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years.

Media reports said around 1,500 people had to be evacuated because of the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday.

Evacuated to gymnasium

“Evacuations took place in numerous hotels and tourists were safely transferred to a closed gymnasium in the municipality of Ierapetra,” vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told TV channel Mega, referring to the holiday town.