Greece battles new blazes as Europe wildfires rage

Greece battled fresh wildfires on the outskirts of Athens and on the island of Crete on Friday, while France and Spain gained some relief after bringing major blazes under control, as Europe continued to grapple with another devastating wildfire season fuelled by extreme heat and prolonged drought.

Authorities ordered precautionary evacuations in two communities west of Athens after a wildfire broke out in densely forested hills surrounding the Greek capital. Firefighting

aircraft were deployed to contain the blaze as thick smoke spread across the area.

In the Boeotia region, northwest of Athens, hundreds of residents and holidaymakers were evacuated by coast guard boats and fishing vessels from a small coastal settlement engulfed in dense orange smoke. Television footage showed flames sweeping across olive-covered hillsides.

The Greek fire brigade said more than 70 fires had broken out across the country on Friday alone and warned that the fire danger remained at its highest level. Authorities identified the Attica

peninsula, which includes Athens, and the nearby island of Evia as among the areas facing the greatest risk.

On the island of Crete, firefighters continued battling persistent hotspots along a 15-kilometre fire front after a blaze that erupted on Wednesday forced the evacuation of hundreds of tourists and local residents, including by sea from coastal communities.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said about 2,000 tourists had been evacuated from fires on Crete, where homes, farmland, olive groves and livestock had been destroyed.

Elsewhere in Europe, authorities reported improving conditions after days of intense firefighting. In southwestern France, officials said a major wildfire that had burned for more than a week was now under control.

Evacuation orders were lifted in 12 districts west and southwest of Bordeaux, allowing around 144,000 of the more than 220,000 displaced residents to return home, according to Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas. Spain also eased its emergency response after conditions improved.

Nearly 1,000 residents of seven housing developments in Pelayos de la Presa and San Martin de Valdeiglesias, west of Madrid, were still unable to return home. Further east, a wildfire in La Vall d'Uixo in Castellon province remained active, although officials said it had not spread for 48 hours.

In Zamora province near the Portuguese border, strong winds continued to hamper efforts to contain a blaze in Arribes del Duero Natural Park, where flames swept through river canyons. Fourteen villages were evacuated, while residents of two others were instructed to remain indoors.

Europe has endured repeated heatwaves this summer, leaving forests and vegetation dangerously dry and highly vulnerable to fire. Scientists say human-induced climate change has intensified the hot and arid conditions that have driven increasingly destructive wildfire seasons across the continent. REUTERS