Killer fires strike Greece, Turkey

Firefighters have battled blazes near Athens and on Crete, where thousands were forced to flee holiday resorts, while fires in Turkey have claimed at least two lives.

Firemen combat a wildfire that broke out at Ierapetra on the southern Greek island of Crete this week. Picture: Costas Metaxakis / AFP

Firefighters battled blazes on Friday (AEST) near Athens and on the island of Crete, where thousands were forced to flee holiday resorts, while blazes in neighbouring Turkey claimed at least two lives.

More than 5000 tourists, hotel workers and residents were evacuated from the Ierapetra area along Crete’s southern coast, authorities and hotel association officials said. A small number of people fled into the sea, to be rescued by local fishermen and divers.

Ierapetra mayor Manolis Frangoulis said firefighters were working to prevent flare-ups and take advantage of a lull in high winds. “Thankfully no one was hurt but it's a difficult situation," he said.

Displaced tourists were relocated to other hotels or spent the night in an indoor basketball stadium. Several homes and businesses were damaged.

Volunteers found dead farm animals, some burned alive while chained inside sheds. Separately, a wildfire near the port of Rafina, about 30km east of Athens, disrupted local ferry services to the islands. Police went door to door to assist elderly residents while carrying out an evacuation order.

In western Turkey, a local forestry worker died trying to contain a fire near the town of Odemis, and an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation, authorities said, the first fatalities in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands to flee.

Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular vacation destination about 190km west of Odemis. That fire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighbourhoods and led to road closures. Video showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.

Over the past week, Turkey has battled hundreds of wildfires fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity. Now mostly under control, they have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.

Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.

On Thursday, Turkey’s parliament adopted a landmark climate law targeting net-zero emissions by 2053. Turkey is increasingly grappling with issues related to climate change, from searing heatwaves to prolonged droughts, experts say.

AP