Although the burning area is relatively small, the area covered by the fire is huge. “The fire started in the foothills, near Kedros mountain, then the wind began to carry the fire further. I would recommend avoiding the southern, western coasts and the northeastern coast,” says A. Morkūnas.
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This morning, wind speeds of up to 125 km/h were recorded near the fire. According to the journalist, this is practically a hurricane, so firefighters are powerless. The fire is being carried towards the sea, so only the sea can stop it.
There are small but popular holiday settlements near the coasts, from which people are being evacuated. In one of them – Agia Galini – a Lithuanian couple lives, who also successfully evacuated yesterday.
“The situation in extinguishing the fire is currently uncontrollable. However, the fire cannot spread very far because the wind is carrying it into the sea. But the situation with people is managed, they are being evacuated, taken to safe places, and for those who have nowhere to go, the state provides shelters,” the interlocutor says.
He notes that today the wind should be even stronger than yesterday, and it is also forecasted that it will not calm down tomorrow, so what awaits is unknown. Also, there is a second fire in the southeast, but according to A. Morkūnas, there are neither travelers nor holidaymakers in those areas.
Tours to Balos Lagoon and Preveli Beach have been canceled, the Samaria Gorge is closed, and it is not recommended to go to the western, southern, and northeastern beaches of Crete, such as Falasarna, Elafonisi, Preveli, Triopetra, Itanos, Vai. The strong northwest wind reaching Crete will strengthen even more as it passes over the island. Gusts may reach 90 km/h (~25 m/s) in some places.
In Greece, three firefighters died while extinguishing forest fires in Crete and the Peloponnese. Strong, stormy winds in Crete further fueled the flames, forcing the evacuation of several villages. Two firefighters died trapped by the fire when it spread in the Rethymno region, in the western part of the island.
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Another firefighter died after being found unconscious near the southern Peloponnese port city of Gythio, reports BBC.
According to witnesses, several fires broke out in Crete, spreading very rapidly. The largest fire front stretched for 15 kilometers.
Residents and tourists were evacuated from the mountain village of Kria Vrisi, where two firefighters died.
“The wind is incredible – sometimes it is even impossible to stand on your feet. The flames were huge, it was really very scary,” local resident Chrissa Gioukaki told the news agency Reuters.
Forest fires also broke out in other parts of Greece – on the islands of Paros and Lesbos in the Aegean Sea and in the city of Trifylia in southern mainland Greece.
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