Firefighters battled for a third day on Friday to put out a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that has razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to leave the area.

Firefighters in Turkey continue to battle wildfires in the Aegean coastal province of İzmir while authorities in neighboring Greece have brought similar fires under control.

A Greek official says it is a "very difficult situation" as the wildfire sees clouds of ash fills the sky over southern Crete, adding: "Right now, they cannot stop it."