Capitals, July 30 (SANA)Greek authorities evacuated around 8,000 people from the island of Crete as wildfires, fueled by strong winds, continued to spread, while neighboring Türkiye announced it had brought forest fires under control in three provinces.

Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that Maria Leon, deputy governor of the tourist city of Rethymno on Crete, said on Greek state television on Thursday that about 8,000 people had been evacuated on Wednesday evening. She added that wind speeds in the southern part of the island reached 125 km/h on Thursday morning.

Leon said the fires had destroyed homes and agricultural facilities and killed livestock, noting that the full extent of the damage would not be known until the fires were brought under control.

Wildfires in Greece have claimed the lives of three firefighters, including one who died while battling a separate blaze near Gythio on the Peloponnese Peninsula.

AGreek coast guardspokesperson told AFP that four vessels, including one operated by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), had been deployed off Agia Galini to assist with possible evacuations if needed.

According to Greek meteo website, the weather service of the National Observatory of Athens, strong winds are expected to persist across southern Crete throughout the day. More than 200 firefighters and 53 fire engines are battling the blaze, although high winds continue to hamper aerial firefighting operations.

Greece’s Civil Protection Authority has raised the wildfire alert to the orange level in several regions, including Crete, Athens, the eastern Peloponnese and most Aegean islands.

Separately, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli announced on Thursday that authorities had brought forest fires under control in the provinces of Balikesir, Canakkale and Antalya.

Speaking at the General Directorate of Forestry’s Fire Management Center inAnkara, Yumakli said firefighting teams had responded to 115 fires since Wednesday and had brought 110 of them under control.

He said 21 aircraft, 69 helicopters, around 500 fire engines and more than 3,500 firefighters remain deployed to tackle the remaining fires.

Yumakli warned that low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds continue to pose a high wildfire risk and urged the public to avoid activities that could ignite fires in forested areas.

Greek authorities detained four people, including the mayor of the island of Paros and his deputy, as part of an investigation into a fire that broke out on Tuesday at a landfill on the Cyclades island.