Two Greek firefighters have died after becoming trapped while tackling a wildfire that swept through the Rethymno area of Crete, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Gale-force winds whipped up the flames, prompting the evacuation of several villages on the island as southern Europe entered another week of extreme fire danger.
The fire department said the two men were working near the western city of Rethymno when they became engulfed by rapidly advancing flames. Witnesses reported multiple fires breaking out simultaneously across Crete, with the worst front extending as far as 15 kilometers.
The deaths underscore the growing danger faced by fire crews across southern Europe this summer. Wildfires have also broken out on the Greek islands of Paros and Lesbos, as well as near the southern mainland town of Trifylia.
In Spain, the Burgohondo fire in Avila province has already ravaged more than 43,000 hectares, making it the largest recorded wildfire in Spanish history. Firefighting operations director Francisco Bolanos said the fire has not advanced during the night, but warned that rising temperatures could trigger reignition. More than 207,000 hectares have burned across Spain so far this year.
Authorities in the Madrid region have allowed 24,000 evacuees to return home, and restrictions on another 20,000 have been lifted. But one fire remains out of control at Vall d’Uixo northwest of Valencia, and officials warn that a fourth summer heatwave is now arriving.
In southwest France, Gironde’s largest fires remain stabilized despite flare-ups, though officials warn of dry winds and temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius. The fire service has deployed special measures to protect Seveso sites linked to France’s defense and aerospace industries.
In southern Turkey, the main Fethiye to Antalya highway was closed and part of a hospital evacuated due to a fire in Mugla province. Fires are also burning in northern Portugal near Vila Real, where authorities are monitoring a gas depot and water treatment plant.
Fourteen people died in the Almeria fires in Spain earlier this month, including UK, Belgian, US, French and Spanish nationals. A woman badly burned in those fires has since died of her injuries in a Seville hospital.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent, heating at twice the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, driving more intense heatwaves and wildfires each summer.
Author: Pulse Of Nations Wire Desk
