by Athens, Griece (AP) – Firefighters drove for forest fires on Thursday, which forced thousands to flee the holiday resorts on the southern Greek island of Crete, while neighboring Turkey dealt with its own deadly bubbles, which at least one life claimed.
More than 5,000 tourists, hotel employees and residents were evacuated from the Ierapetra region along the south coast of Rete, said officials from the authorities and hotel associations. A small number of people fled into the sea and was saved by local fishermen and divers.
Manolis Frangoulis, Mayor of Ierapetra, said firefighters had worked to prevent flare-ups before dark, as water-dropping helicopters.
“The fire has decreased a little, but when the wind hits the flames again, we will have new fire and the disaster will continue,” he said.
Several houses and companies were damaged. Volunteers found dead farm animals, some of whom were burned alive while they were chained into dandruff. Displaced tourists were moved to other hotels or spent the night in an indoor basketball stadium.
On Thursday, the authorities ordered the evacuations of the forest fire near the port Rafina, about 30 kilometers east of Athens east of Rafina, about 30 kilometers.
In western Turkey, firefighters discovered the body of an 81-year-old man after deleting a fire near a village, and marked the first death in a number of forest fires that forced thousands to flee. Officials said the man died of smoke inhalation near the city of Odemis.
A total of 37 other villagers were certainly evacuated by security forces and emergency teams. In the meantime, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were used to fight a running fire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular holiday destination of about 190 kilometers west of Odemis.
This fire that started on Wednesday forced the evacuation of three districts and led to road closures. TV recordings showed flames that rest on both sides of a highway through dry vegetation.
Last week, Turkey fought hundreds of forest fires, which are driven by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity. The blazes have now mainly under control and have damaged or destroyed around 200 houses.
Summer free are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change reinforces the conditions.
On Wednesday, the Turkish Parliament passed a pioneering climate law until 2053 that aimed at net zero emissions. The legislation includes measures to set up a CO2 market to monitor the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
At a time when Turkey increasingly deals with problems related to climate change, the law comes from scorching heat waves to longer droughts.
“As a Mediterranean country, Turkey is very susceptible to climate change,” said Gizem Koc, lawyer at the Clientearth, based in Great Britain. “The most striking vulnerability is the drought and water stress in some regions, but also the frequency of floods and other extreme weather events.” ___ Fraser reported from Ankara, Türkiye. Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed.
