Hotels and homes on Crete evacuated as wildfire burns out of control
Fire burns in the Ahlia area near the port town of Ierapetra on Crete (InTime News/AP)
A fast-moving wildfire whipped by gale-force winds burned through the night and into Thursday on Greece’s southern island of Crete, prompting the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from hotels and homes.
The fire department said 230 firefighters backed up by 10 water-dropping aircraft were battling the flames, which have burned through forest and farmland in the Ierapetra area on the island’s southern coast.
