Thousands evacuated as wildfires rage on Greece's Crete

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00:00Flames engulf southern Crete's arid hills, charring farmland and choking the sky with

00:07thick smoke. Near the resort town of Irapetra, some 230 firefighters and 10 water bombing

00:15helicopters fight the inferno as terrified tourists and locals are evacuated from hotels

00:22and homes.

00:24We were at the balcony, we saw the first flames, which became bigger at a very short time.

00:31It was very scary. We're from Denmark, we don't have this wildfire in our country.

00:40The fast-moving wildfires pushed by gale force winds broke out Wednesday night, leaving damaged

00:46homes and businesses, farm animals burnt alive and air saturated with ash. Authorities declared

00:53a state of emergency in the area of Irapetra and warn of a high risk of fires on Friday.

01:00Greece, dubbed a wildfire hot spot, faces frequent blazers during dry and hot summers, with fires

01:06becoming more destructive year on year. Scientists warn this year's early heatwave is fueled by

01:12warming seas trapping a dome of hot air over Europe. Earlier this week, a blaze broke out

01:18in northern Greece. And this Thursday afternoon, a new fire erupted in an Athens suburb, intensifying

01:25the crisis. Neighbouring Turkey has also faced devastating wildfires this week, forcing the

01:30evacuation of villages as the country continues to grapple with annual heatwaves and prolonged

01:36droughts in the face of climate change.

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