Thousands of tourists have left the southeastern part of the Greek island of Crete after a large forest fire in the Lassithi region forced the evacuation of hotels and homes, reports the newspaper. "Kathimerini", quoted by dariknews.bg.
Authorities said more than 1,000 residents and visitors were evacuated from at least four settlements and moved to temporary shelter at an indoor stadium in Ierapetra yesterday and today.
Some have left Crete by boat, and Reuters quoted the head of hoteliers in the area, Giorgos Tzarakis, as saying that about 5,000 tourists have left the area, raising concerns about the impact on future bookings.
"There are gusts of wind in the area, some of them reaching 9 on the Beaufort scale, which are causing re-ignition and hindering the efforts of firefighters," said fire department spokesman Vassilis Vatrakoiannis, quoted by Reuters.
Some homes have suffered damage and several people have been treated for respiratory problems, officials said.
In addition to strong winds, firefighting efforts are also being hampered by inaccessible terrain.
Meanwhile, a 45-year-old man appeared in court in Halkidiki, northern Greece, in summary proceedings on charges of causing arson through negligence in connection with a large fire that broke out in a remote pine forest near Vourvourou on the Sithonia peninsula, the online edition of the newspaper "Kathimerini" reported.
It is believed that he was using agricultural machinery when the fire broke out yesterday.
In a separate case, a 49-year-old man was detained in connection with a fire on Tuesday in the Mesaio area of Thessaloniki, again linked to agricultural activities involving a combine harvester. He appeared before a prosecutor in Thessaloniki and was released pending an initial investigation.
Authorities are awaiting a report from an expert from the fire service to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Meanwhile, the newspaper reported that a forest fire caused road closures and evacuations in Rafina near Athens today.
The fire broke out yesterday afternoon in low vegetation near homes in Rafina, a coastal town east of Athens, and has led to evacuations, road closures and flight delays at the capital's international airport.
A total of 90 firefighters, including six ground crews, 15 fire engines and volunteers, are battling the blaze, assisted by two aircraft and three helicopters.
An evacuation alert has been sent via the emergency number 112 to people in three nearby villages with instructions to are heading towards the "Artemida" football field, ANA-MPA reported.
Due to the fire, the police have stopped traffic on the road to Marathon in both directions.
After the coastal regions of Turkey, Mersin, Cesme and Antalya, a forest fire has also broken out in the Istanbul region.
The fire broke out this afternoon in a large pasture area near the town of Silivri, which is about 50 km from the metropolis, Turkish media reported.
Due to the strong wind at a speed of about 85 km/h, the fire quickly spread and is advancing towards the forest areas in the area, Turkish media reported.
As soon as the fire was reported, firefighting teams with numerous personnel were sent to the area.
With two firefighting aircraft and A lot of equipment is being used from the air and on the ground to control the fire, the regional government (governorship) in Istanbul announced.
The fire is not under control yet.
A forest worker died while fighting the fire near the Turkish resort of Cesme in the Izmir district, former Minister of Agriculture Ibrahim Yumakli announced on the platform, BNR reported.
Earlier, it was reported that an 81-year-old man with limited mobility died in the fire in the municipality of Ödemis, 100 kilometers east of Izmir.
The elderly man is from one of the three villages evacuated in the area.
The strong wind with a speed of up to 85 km/h, which changes direction, is spreading the fire very quickly and is seriously hampering the firefighters, said Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban. The highway connecting Izmir with Cesme was temporarily closed in the afternoon, but traffic was restored this evening.
A total of nine planes, 22 helicopters and 1,100 fire engines are involved in the fight against the elements. According to Elban, the cause of the fire in both cases was electrical cables.