ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters on the southern Greek island of Crete battled wildfire flare-ups Thursday that forced the evacuation of additional villages in remote mountainous areas, officials said.
The fire, which started on Wednesday, was contained after a nightlong lull in high winds, but the flames intensified after daybreak, despite the arrival of additional assistance from the mainland.
Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters were aiding more than 200 firefighters and a 30-member special firefighting unit in the central Rethymno region of the island. The blaze tore through olive groves and farmland and damaged irrigation networks, but it posed no immediate threat to the busy holiday resorts along the coast.
The fire department reported that a village near the Agia Paraskevi area in central Crete was evacuated, following several evacuation orders and cautions issued late Wednesday.
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