RAGING wildfires have spread across a Greek holiday hotspot with 1,500 people evacuated from their homes and hotels to escape the inferno.
The night sky turned orange as the burning blazes left a trail of destruction on the popular island of Crete.
XSome 1,500 people have been evacuated as raging wildfires spread across Crete[/caption]
ReutersFirefighters scrambled to contain the blazes[/caption]
APFire burns in the Ahlia area near the port town of Ierapetra[/caption]
EPATourists evacuate a hotel during the wildfire[/caption]
Evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island’s south coast, authorities said.
More than 150 firefighters were operating in the area, while water-dropping planes and helicopters remained grounded overnight.
Six people have been taken to hospital for breathing problems, officials confirmed.
Thick smoke was seen rising into the night sky as the wildfires continued to spread towards residential areas.
Despite the size of the blaze there have been no immediate reports of serious injuries, officials said.
Homes were reportedly damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds.
Crete’s wildfires are now raging on three separate fronts – Ferma, Achlia and Schinokapsala – with gusts of up to 72mph hampering efforts to contain the flames.
Emergency reinforcements, including five fire engines and crews, arrived by boat early on Thursday after a C-130 military plane airlifted additional teams from Athens shortly after midnight.
Over 1,500 people have now been evacuated, authorities confirmed.
Emergency alerts were issued throughout the day for villages including Agia Fotia, Galini, Ferma and Koutsounari.
Some were rescued from beaches by boat as the flames pushed down to the shoreline, with thick smoke drifting across the sea near Makrys Gialos.
Tourists were removed from hotels and taken to temporary shelters – including an indoor basketball arena in Ierapetra – as flames edged dangerously close to coastal resorts.
“The tourists who were moved out are all okay,” said civil protection official Nektarios Papadakis.
“They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island.”
The fire now spans more than six kilometres, with some homes, accommodation and greenhouses already damaged in Ferma and Agia Fotia.
Emergency workers and volunteers continued to build fire breaks overnight using hand tools, heavy machinery and graders in an effort to stop the flames reaching more built-up areas.
Meanwhile, firefighters remain in a race against time ahead of more strong winds forecast through Thursday afternoon.
The Fire Service continues to warn of “very high” wildfire risk across Crete and southern Greece.
EPAFirefighters and volunteers work at the scene of a wildfire in Ierapetra on the Greek island of Crete[/caption]
EPAHomes were reportedly damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds[/caption]
ReutersFlames rise as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra in Crete[/caption]
It comes after wildfires in Turkey spread across holiday hotspots and caused havoc across the country.
Wildfires erupted in popular areas Kuyucak and Doganbey fanned overnight by winds which reached 25-30mph.
Four villages and two neighbourhoods were forced to evacuate, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said.
And while those in Sakarya and Manisa are now largely under control, Izmir is still being ravaged by the flames.
More than 50,000 people have been evacuated since the wildfires started.
Adnan Menderes Airport was forced to temporarily close due to the raging wildfires, with some incoming planes forced to divert to other airports.
Extinguishing efforts prevented jets from taking off or landing at the airport on Sunday.
Tourists stand with their luggage as smoke billows from a wildfire in Ferma, CreteReuters
ReutersFirefighters prepare to deploy to a wildfire burning near Ierapetra[/caption]