Greek firefighters battle deadly wildfires on Crete for a second day
Authorities evacuated about 8,000 people as strong winds and extreme heat hampered crews and investigators opened probes into the fatal blazes.
- On Thursday, more than 200 firefighters battled two wildfires on Crete for a second day, as three Greek firefighters died Wednesday while confronting flames fanned by strong winds and extreme heat.
- Record-Breaking heatwaves across Europe have intensified conditions enabling rapid fire spread, as the continent warms at more than twice the global average. Extreme heat and drought turned vegetation into combustible fuel.
- Across France and Spain, roughly 330,000 people were driven from homes and vacation sites at the crisis peak. Meanwhile, some evacuation orders in Spain were recently lifted as firefighters continued battling uncontained blazes.
- Giorgos Tsapakos, deputy regional governor for civil protection on Crete, warned that strong winds prevented aircraft from operating Thursday. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned of "three tough days" ahead with high temperatures.
- The head of the European Union's emergency response centre cautioned Wednesday that Greece and Italy face heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks. Crews remain mobilized across southern Europe to confront the punishing mix of heat, drought and strong winds.
133 Articles
133 Articles
Gresk civilforsvar har beordret evacuation av deler av forstaden Haidari vest for Hellas' hovedstad Aten som følge av skogbrann.
Forces in Greece continue to extinguish several large forest fires around Athens and Crete. In France, firefighters are fighting last embers.
The situation surrounding the large wildfire on the Greek island of Crete has improved slightly, the fire department says. The fire is not yet under control, and authorities warn that the coming days could still be difficult.
Other Greek islands report easy relaxation, but on Crete the situation remains tense: heavy winds constantly spark new fires. At times a whole resort had to be evacuated. From M. Pompl.
Svenska Dagbladet
Dagens industriThe situation in fire-stricken countries in southern Europe is worsening. On the Greek island of Crete, high winds are making firefighting efforts difficult. In Gironde in France, where the giant fire is now stable, there is cautious optimism.
In Greece, wildfires are raging across the country, particularly on several islands. Three firefighters have died battling the blazes. The most intense battle is being fought in Crete, where three major fires are burning and thousands of residents and tourists have been evacuated.
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