Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK Another summer of wildfires in Greece. Since last night (2.7), a massive wildfire has been raging in Lasithi Province, the eastern region of Crete.
From last evening, hundreds of firefighting teams were dispatched to try and control the fire, and this morning (3.7), about 36 firetrucks are still operating on-site. According to the official reports from the Hellenic Fire Service, the fire has been partially contained but not yet fully controlled.
According to the Greek authorities, the fire's epicenter is currently in Ierapetra in the southeast of the island, and as of this morning, there is no danger of the fire spreading north towards the tourist areas of Agios Nikolaos or Sitia. However, in the fire's epicenter, residents have been evacuated from their homes, and roads have been closed to ensure citizen safety.
To complete the operations and ensure the fire does not continue to spread, additional firefighting teams from other parts of the country have been called for assistance. They are expected to arrive by air and sea.
In recent days, a severe fire warning has been issued across Greece (as seen on the map, mainly for the south but also many other areas) due to the scorching weather prevailing in the country, which will accompany Greek residents into next week. So far, fires have broken out in several regions, including Chalkidiki, and even in several towns north of Athens.
As a reminder, in previous years, the residents and authorities in Greece also contended with particularly severe summer fires, including on the island of Rhodes, where exactly two years ago - in July 2023, they faced fires that severely impacted the tourism season on the island.
