Athens: Firefighters battled a blaze on Thursday on the island of Crete that scorched forests and olive groves and forced over 1,000 to evacuate, while a fresh conflagration near Athens threatened homes, highlighting Greece's vulnerability to wildfire risks.
A new fire broke out in the Athens suburb of Pikermi on Thursday afternoon, threatening many homes and prompting the evacuation of three settlements as more than 100 firefighters battled to extinguish it.
Thick grey smoke billowed over the area, close to the Athens international airport and Rafina, home to the capital's second largest port. The main avenue linking the suburb to Athens was closed to traffic.
Authorities said there was a high risk of fires also on Friday.
In Crete, around 230 firefighters, along with 46 engines and 10 helicopters, were deployed to contain the conflagration on Crete, which broke out a day earlier near Ierapetra town on the southeastern coast of Greece's largest island.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the wider municipal area of Ierapetra on Thursday, state broadcaster ERT said.
The blaze encroached upon houses and hotels that were earlier evacuated, stoked by intense winds that "rekindled and hindered firefighting efforts," fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.
More than 1,000 residents and tourists were evacuated from at least four settlements. Most took shelter at an indoor stadium in Ierapetra, while others transferred to hotels in the north or left Crete by boat, authorities said.
"It was very scary," said 26-year old Danish tourist Mikkel Sallin, who was evacuated to another hotel. "We are just glad to stay here right now and feel safe." Local media reported damage to some homes, and some people were hospitalised with respiratory issues, an official said. SEE P5
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