Firefighters race to contain wildfires in Greece as thousands evacuated, elderly man dies in Turkey
More than 5,000 tourists, hotel workers and residents were evacuated from the Ierapetra area along Crete's southern coast, authorities and hotel association officials said. A small number of people fled into the sea and were rescued by local fishermen and divers.
Ierapetra Mayor Manolis Frangoulis said firefighters were working to prevent flare-ups before nightfall, when water-dropping helicopters are grounded.
'The fire has receded a little, but if the wind hits the flames again, we'll have new fires and the catastrophe will continue,' he said.
Several homes and businesses were damaged. Volunteers found dead farm animals, some burned alive while chained inside sheds. Displaced tourists were relocated to other hotels or spent the night in an indoor basketball stadium.
Separately Thursday, authorities ordered precautionary evacuations due to a wildfire near the port of Rafina, about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) east of Athens.
In western Turkey, firefighters discovered the body of an 81-year-old man after extinguishing a blaze near a village, marking the first fatality in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands to flee. Officials said the man died from smoke inhalation near the town of Odemis.
A total of 37 other villagers were safely evacuated by security forces and emergency teams. Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to battle a wildfire near the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a popular vacation destination about 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis.
That fire, which began Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and led to road closures. Television footage showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.
Over the past week, Turkey has battled hundreds of wildfires fueled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity. Now mostly under control, the blazes have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.
Summer wildfires are common in both Greece and Turkey, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions.
Late Wednesday, Turkey's parliament adopted a landmark climate law targeting net-zero emissions by 2053. The legislation includes measures to establish a carbon market board to oversee efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The law comes at a time when Turkey is increasingly grappling with issues related to climate change, from searing heatwaves to prolonged droughts, experts say.
'As a Mediterranean country, Turkey is highly vulnerable to climate change,' said Gizem Koc, a lawyer with the U.K.-based environmental advocacy group ClientEarth. 'The most striking vulnerability is the drought and water stress in some regions, but also there is increasing frequency of floods and other extreme weather events.' ___ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Elena Becatoros in Athens contributed.
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