Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage

Athens: A wildfire fanned by gale force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists,...

Athens: A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said Thursday.

An elderly man died in neighbouring Türkiye, where wildfires forced the evacuation of six villages in the western province of Izmir.

Some 30 kilometres (19 miles) east of Athens, another fire broke out near the port of Rafina on Thursday afternoon and had already burned five or six houses, one local mayor told ERT public television.

Hot dry weather in Greece -- not unusual for this time of year -- has heightened the risk of a repeat of the summer wildfires that have hit the country in recent years.

Türkiye, although spared the recent heatwaves that gripped southern Europe, has battled the effects of a long-term drought likely brought on by climate change.