Southern Europe battles wildfires amid heatwave; thousands evacuated in Crete

Wildfires continue to rage across Southern Europe, exacerbated by a severe heatwave. On the Greek island of Crete, thousands of people, including tourists, were evacuated from the Rethymno area on Wednesday. While the fire threatening the village of Agia Galini changed direction by evening, easing the situation, the full extent of the damage from the Rethymno fires remained unclear. Tragically, two firefighters lost their lives in Greece; one died near Gytheio, and another was reported to have died in the Rethymno fires. Meanwhile, in France, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with fires near Bordeaux, which have burned approximately 42,000 hectares. While the situation in southwestern France has remained relatively stable, other areas like the Var region saw new outbreaks, prompting further evacuations. In Spain, the situation near Madrid has improved, with officials reporting no further spread and minimal remaining flames, allowing about a thousand evacuees to return. However, the country has experienced several large wildfires in recent weeks. Turkey has also seen wildfires near popular tourist beaches, leading to hundreds of evacuations in southern provinces like Muğla and Balıkesir.