Around 8,000 people have been forced to move from the Greek island of Crete as a massive wildfire, fanned by hurricane-force winds, continues to burn out of control in the Rethymno region.
The fire broke out on Wednesday, July 29, and has already destroyed thousands of homes and agricultural land, with its front exceeding 15 kilometers.
Two other firefighters, whose names are 58-year-old Emmanouil Stratidakis and 25-year-old Pantelis Diamantakis, have died on the island of Crete after being trapped at Krya Vrysi. Another firefighter has lost his life in the vicinity of the Peloponnese port city of Gytheio.
Rethymno’s deputy regional governor Maria Lioni described Wednesday as a “dark day” for the region. While deputy regional governor of Crete Giorgos Tsapakos said: “The winds are so intense that aircraft can’t operate.”
Evacuations occur amid wildfires raging across parts of southern Europe, with over 330,000 people displaced from their homes in a string of evacuations in the country. Spain is experiencing its biggest-ever forest fire, which has razed over 43,000 hectares near the Spanish capital, Madrid. Meanwhile, the French Gironde department has suffered its worst-ever fire since 1949, scorching 42,000 hectares of land.
In Spain, another fire blazing close to Valencia still rages despite some evacuation notices having been canceled. In Turkey, officials said most fires had been put under control.
European Union officials warn that even more difficult weeks are ahead with concerns about further outbreaks in Italy and Greece. The primary reason for this year’s intense fire season is climate change, scientists claim.
2026-07-30 18:09:00
