Tourists cut holidays sort as Greek fires continue

Hundreds of tourists ended holidays early at resorts in northern Greece today, as a fire raged for a third day on the Halkidiki holiday peninsula.

Officials at nearby Thessaloniki airport said three additional charter flights had been made available by British tour operators to take holidaymakers home, with more expected.

A German tourist drowned escaping the fire and several thousand people were evacuated from Halkidiki’s Cassandra area late on Monday.

The fire blackened 12,000 acres of forest, damaging or destroying more than 50 homes.

A second fire also burned for a third day today in the Laconia region of southern Greece, damaging more than a dozen homes and destroying olive groves in the area.

Fire officials have not ruled out arson in the Halkidiki fire, but today said a fierce storm was the probable cause.

“There were very strong winds and lightning, but no rain. These conditions can cause the fire to spread at great speed and make it difficult to stop,” said Greek fire chief Andreas Kois.