INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of residents and tourists, officials
said on Thursday (Jul 3).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,
to tackle the blaze, said Vassilios Vathrakoyannis, a spokesman for the fire service.They include reinforcements sent in from the capital,
blaze.The fire damaged houses and crops in fruit and vegetable greenhouses, media reports said.Like the rest of Crete, Ierapetra, a seaside
resort with a population of 23,000, takes in thousands of tourists in the summer.Vathrakoyannis said the authorities would assess the damage
added.Greece has largely escaped a heatwave that has gripped other parts of southern Europe.The country recorded its hottest-ever summer
last year when 45,000ha of land were burned, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory.In terms of surface area destroyed,
2023 was the worst on record.Nearly 175,000ha were obliterated, and 20 people died during heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46
degrees Celsius.- Agencies
