A wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 people has been extinguished, officials say.
Some 230 firefighters and six helicopters worked at the scene near the resort town of Ierapetra, where residents had to leave their homes and visitors their accommodation on Wednesday evening.
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Wildfire on Greek island of Crete forces evacuation of 1,500
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Greece battles wildfire near capital as summer’s first heatwave hits
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Southern Europe roasts as first heatwave of the summer scorches continent
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Wildfire risks as climate change fuels extreme heatwave in Southern Europe
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Reporting from the nearby village of Agia Fotia, Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos said there was “no active fire front” by Friday morning. Still, he added, helicopters were operating in the area to ensure there were no flare-ups.
The fire left forest trees and some olive trees burned but caused no casualties. Two local MPs told Al Jazeera efforts were under way for the return of the people who were evacuated after the blaze broke out.
Elsewhere in mainland Greece, a fire fanned by strong winds that erupted near the port town of Rafina, about 30km (18 miles) east of the capital, Athens, was brought under control on Thursday evening, authorities said.
However, firefighting crews remained on alert as winds remained strong.
The fire, which led to the evacuation of 300 people, destroyed a few houses and vehicles, local mayor Dimitris Markou told public broadcaster ERT.
It also disrupted ferries to and from tourist islands in the western Aegean Sea.
Greece has so far been spared the heatwave roasting parts of Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal and France. But starting this weekend, temperatures will rise and reach up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas of the country.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Turkiye, a local forestry worker was killed while trying to contain a fire near the western town of Odemis, while an 81-year-old resident died from smoke inhalation, authorities said.
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These were the first deaths in a series of wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee.
Separately, 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 190km (120 miles) west of Odemis.
That fire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighbourhoods and led to road closures. Television footage showed flames racing through dry vegetation on both sides of a highway.
Over the past week, Turkiye has battled hundreds of wildfires fuelled by strong winds, extreme heat and low humidity.
The blazes have damaged or destroyed about 200 homes.
Hot dry weather is not unusual for Greece and Turkiye at this time of year. Devastating summer wildfires are common in both countries, with experts warning that climate change is intensifying conditions.
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