Officials on the southern Greek island of Crete evacuated thousands of people from wildfires, while two people died in neighboring Turkey as fires took hold in the western province of Izmir on Thursday.

Crete

Wildfires have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists from southern Crete, Greece, as firefighters struggle to contain the flames amid strong winds. The fires have threatened one of the last remaining forests in the region and have come dangerously close to hotels in a popular tourist area. 

In addition to the evacuations in Crete, fires have also broken out near the capital, leading to further evacuations and rescues. The Greek government reported 40 wildfires in a 24-hour period and is preparing for a second major heatwave, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees. Meanwhile, in Turkey's western province of Izmir, wildfires have resulted in two fatalities as the region faces similar risks.

Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage

Firefighters battle to save one of the last forests in southern Crete, a task made more difficult by the intensity of the wind. 2,000 residents had to evacuate the area, which is frequently hit by fires. This is the only forest left, there's nothing else left. Since last year, everything has been destroyed. The area is popular with tourists and the flames are getting dangerously close to the hotels. 3,000 tourists have been evacuated further north. We were at the balcony, we saw the first flames, which became bigger at a very short time. They became bigger, but they were, I think, a kilometre far away or so. About 30 kilometres east of the capital, a fire also broke out, 300 people were evacuated and around 50 people rescued by the fire department. We did what we could. The water bombers arrived immediately. They did a great job lowering the temperature considerably. In Greece, July is the hottest month of the year with high fire risk. In 24 hours, 40 wildfires broke out, according to the government. The country is preparing to be hit by a second major heatwave this summer, with temperatures expected to climb above 40 degrees by Sunday. Neighbouring Turkey is also vulnerable. The western province of Izmir has been hit by fires and two people have already been killed.

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