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As Europe bakes under heatwave, new fires threaten homes in Greece's Athens and a blaze in Crete displaces over 1,000 people

Firefighters fought a fire on Thursday that burned forests and olive trees and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate. Meanwhile, another conflagration threatened homes near Athens, underlining Greece's vulnerability.

The Greek authorities struggled to control the fires due to gale-force winds, aridity and the early summer heatwave that affected much of Europe. At least eight people died in the region.

On Thursday afternoon, another fire broke out near the Athens suburb Pikermi. It threatened many homes and prompted the evacuation of 3 settlements. More than 100 firefighters fought to put it out.

The area was engulfed in thick grey smoke, near the Athens airport and Rafina - the second largest port of the capital. Traffic was stopped on the main road connecting the suburb with Athens.

The authorities warned that there was also a high fire risk on Friday.

Around 230 firefighters were deployed in Crete along with 46 engines, 10 helicopters and 10 fire trucks to put out the fire that broke out near Ierapetra, a town located on the southeast coast of Greece's biggest island, a day before.

The state broadcaster ERT reported that the authorities declared a general state of emergency on Thursday in Ierapetra and its surrounding areas.

Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, the spokesman for the fire brigade, said that intense winds had sparked and hindered efforts to fight fires.

At least four settlements were evacuated of more than 1,000 residents, tourists and visitors. Authorities said that most people took refuge in an indoor stadium at Ierapetra. Others transferred to hotels or left Crete via boat.

Mikkel Sallin (26 years old Danish tourist) said that it was "very scary" when he was evacuated from his hotel. "We're just happy to be here and feel safe."

Officials said that local media reported some damage to homes and that some people had been hospitalised for respiratory problems.

George Tzarakis is the head of the hoteliers of the region and expressed concern about the future bookings. Tourism is the main source of income for this popular tourist island.

'WILDFIRE HOTSPOT'

Scientists call the area around Greece and other Mediterranean countries "a hotspot for wildfires" because they are prone to blazes during hot, dry summers. The climate has changed rapidly in the last few years, making these fires more destructive.

Scientists claim that heatwaves arrived in Europe earlier this year. Temperatures rose by as much as 10 C (50 F), with some regions experiencing temperatures of up to 50 F. Warming seas caused a heat dome to form over Europe, which trapped hot air masses.

Vathrakogiannis, a fire brigade official, said that July is the hardest month for fires due to the high temperatures and strong wind.

In Turkey, authorities are fighting wildfires for the second day in Cesme and Odemis district in Izmir's western coastal province.

Local TV footage showed that winds hindered the firefighters' efforts as they approached a major highway leading to Cesme. Thick smoke billowed across mountainous regions.

The Italian health ministry has issued a red alert for 18 major cities, as temperatures are expected to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4" Fahrenheit).

Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the Italian Energy Minister, warned that temporary blackouts could occur due to the surge in power consumption caused by air conditioners.

Axpo, a Swiss utility, has shut down its two reactors at the Beznau Nuclear Power Plant due to high temperatures in river water. Reporting by Alexandros. Avramidis at Ierapetra; Renee Maltezou in Athens; Angeliki Koutantou in Ankara; Alvise Armellini and Miranda Murray, in Berlin. Editing by Bernadette. Baum.

(source: Reuters)