Olive groves reduced to ashes: Greece’s holiday paradise surrendered to flames

Wildfires on the island of Crete have been burning for two days, spreading to olive groves and forcing the evacuation of local residents and tourists. A state of emergency has been declared on the island as firefighters battle the flames.

A fire that started on Wednesday in a town 156 kilometers east of Ierapetra has destroyed agricultural land, killed livestock, and reduced homes to ashes in the southeastern part of the island. Around 1,000 residents were evacuated earlier, and approximately 5,000 tourists have also left the area.

Tourism is a critical source of income for Crete, Greece’s largest island, and hotel owners are concerned about the impact of the fires on future bookings.

Meanwhile, near the capital Athens, a fire broke out in Koropi, about 30 kilometers from the city. Greek State Television ERT reported that the fire quickly spread close to residential areas, prompting authorities to issue an emergency evacuation order via text messages to residents.

Firefighters are battling the flames both from the air and on the ground, but strong winds in the region are making firefighting efforts more difficult.