Greece flies more firefighters to battle a blaze on Crete. More evacuations have been ordered

Greek authorities are flying additional forces to the southern island of Crete, where 250 firefighters are battling a wildfire that has forced the evacuation of six mountain villages. The blaze is tearing through olive groves, farmland and scrub, but has posed no immediate threat to the busy holiday resorts along the island’s coast. No injuries or severe damage to homes has been reported. Strong winds hampered firefighting efforts, that were assisted by a large fleet of 13 waterbombing aircraft and eight helicopters. More than 2,000 wildfires have erupted all over Greece this summer, which authorities have warned carries the highest fire risk in the past two decades.