Krya Vrysi, Greece. Three Greek firefighters died while battling wildfires in Crete and the Peloponnese as strong winds drove blazes near villages and holiday areas. Residents and tourists were evacuated from Krya Vrysi and nearby settlements in southern Crete.
Firefighters killed in Greece
Two firefighters became trapped while travelling between fire fronts near Krya Vrysi in Crete, a fire department spokesperson told Reuters. A third firefighter died while responding to a separate fire in the Peloponnese region.
High winds pushed the Crete fire out of control near popular holiday destinations, according to local residents.
“The wind is unbelievable – you can’t stand sometimes. The flames were huge, it was really scary,” resident Chrissa Gioukaki said.
Evacuations near Agia Galini
The fire moved southeast towards the coastal town of Agia Galini, where hotels are located on a hill above a small harbour.
Tourists were evacuated by buses and private cars on Wednesday afternoon, said Charalampos Sevvas, owner of the Galini Mare hotel.
Wildfire risk across Europe
Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the European Union’s emergency response centre said Greece and Italy faced a heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks.
Europe has experienced record-breaking heatwaves this year, while human-driven climate change has intensified the heat and drought conditions that enable wildfires to spread more quickly.
Fires in recent days have prompted large-scale evacuations in Spain and France, burning through forests and killing wildlife.
Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned of “three tough days” ahead because of strong winds and high temperatures, although a major fire in the Avila and Madrid region had stabilised, allowing authorities to lift some evacuation and shelter-in-place orders.
Officials also warned of another fire in the northwestern Spanish province of Zamora, ordering the evacuation of six towns and asking about 1,000 people to shelter in place.
