Greek firefighters battle deadly wildfires on Crete for a second day
More than 200 firefighters and aircraft battled the blaze as strong winds and shifting fronts forced about 8,000 people to evacuate, officials said.
- 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.
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101 Articles
3 firefighters die in Greece as heat waves and winds make southern Europe's fires harder to quell
Three firefighters have died in Greece as deadly wildfires are tearing across southern Europe. Repeated heat waves and strong winds are making the flames harder to contain, according to The Guardian. What happened? The Guardian reported that Greece's fire department said the three deaths came as crews fought blazes on Crete and in the southern mainland, with extreme heat making firefighting across the region more difficult. The heat emergency is…
In Turkey, too, emergency services are struggling to combat wildfires in the south and west of the country. These, too, have been fanned by strong winds.
Greek authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than 8,000 residents and tourists on the island of Crete, as one more firefighter has died, bringing the total to three, amid the severe wildfires across Europe.
Forest fires are raging in Greece and Turkey. 8000 people were evacuated in Crete, while the Turkish forces are fighting 115 fires.
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