Greece has escalated its efforts to control a significant wildfire on the southern island of Crete by deploying additional firefighting forces.
Currently, 250 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has necessitated the evacuation of residents from eight villages situated in mountainous regions.
The escalation comes as the wildfire, which broke out in the Rethymno area on Wednesday, continues to spread, consuming olive groves, agricultural land, and shrubbery, and damaging irrigation systems. Despite the destruction, the fire poses no immediate threat to the bustling coastal resorts that are a vital part of the island’s economy.
In a late Thursday night development, the Greek Fire Service announced that 40 members of a specialised unit from Athens had joined the firefighting efforts in central Crete, near the town of Rethymno. This reinforcement brings the total number of ground personnel engaged in the operation to nearly 300.
As of now, there have been no reports of injuries or significant damage to homes. However, strong winds have complicated the efforts to control the blaze, despite the large fleet of 13 aircraft and eight helicopters involved in water-bombing operations.
Although aerial operations ceased with nightfall, firefighters remain hopeful that the expected decrease in wind speed overnight will provide an opportunity to bring the fire under control.
The wildfire in Rethymno was initially contained on Wednesday night, but after a brief lull, it intensified again at dawn on Thursday, prompting the evacuation of an initial village. As the situation worsened, seven more villages were subsequently evacuated.
This incident is part of a wider crisis in Greece, which has seen over 2,000 wildfires break out across the country this summer. Authorities have warned that this summer poses the highest fire risk in two decades, a result of an unusually dry winter followed by a hot and dry spring, leaving vegetation across the country tinder-dry and highly flammable.
In addition to the situation on Crete, a major border crossing between Greece and North Macedonia was closed earlier due to another wildfire.
The European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism was activated last week to assist in tackling the wildfires ravaging south-eastern Europe, reflecting the severe and widespread nature of the crisis.
As firefighting efforts continue, the focus remains on containing the blaze to prevent further evacuations and damage. The situation is being closely monitored, with additional resources on standby should the need arise.
Main Image: File photo, By Sthivaios – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134569740
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