More villages evacuated in Crete as blazes are fanned by winds
With regional wildfires still blazing, a village in northwestern Crete was evacuated on Friday afernoon as flames approached the wider area, as strong winds which continued for a second day in the region of Rethymno hampered firefighting operations.
The residents of Melabes village in the regional unit of Rethimno were told to evacuate towards Nea Krya Vrysi, through the emergency 112 number, while the blaze near the villages of Orne and Kria Vrisi are uncontrollable due to the extremely strong winds registering there, Mayor Giannis Tatarakis told state-run news agency AMNA.
More than 40 fire engines and three water-dropping helicopters are operating at Orne and Rodakino, in the southern part of Agios Vassilios municipality.
“Things are very bad at the moment. The fire is under the square of Melabes village. The blaze has become very difficult again and so is the night ahead. We are very worried because it is very windy,: he told Kathimerini.
Residents in Korakas beach, another village in the area, were also ordered to evacuate earlier in the day, as flames burned through low bush and olive groves.
A firefighter was earlier injured in the area but has recovered and is now out of danger, Tatarakis said.
The first fire in the area broke out in a semi-mountainous area in the municipality of Agios Vasilios, between the villages Orne and Krya Vrysi.
Canadair aircraft have been grounded due to the strong winds leaving helicopters to operate from the air. According to the Fire Department, there are currently four in the area.
Corfu fire
A seperate wildfire that broke out on Friday in a forested area in the south of Corfu island, at Klisoures Alevropari, is still raging as it is burning in hard-to-reach areas, inaccessible by ground firefighting forces, the Fire Brigade said.
Some 15 firefighters with 5 fire engines are assisted by two Pezetel aircraft and one helicopter.
Feriza fire
Earlier on Friday, additional reinforcements were sent to help put out a blaze that started in Feriza, in the southeast Attica municipality of Saronikos. A strong force of 92 fire fighters, five ground teams, 22 fire engines, four aircraft and three helicopters, assisted by volunteers and local authority water tanker trucks were battiling the blaze that started in low-growing vegetation in an area near scattered dwellings.
A message via the 112 emergency number had instructed people in Agios Panteleimonas in Anavyssos to evacuate the area and head toward the seaside resort town of Lagonissi. A similar message for precautionary evacuation had even earlier been sent to people in the Saronikos area.
An arson investigation team was ordered to head to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.
