Wildfires rage in Greece; three firefighters dead, tourists evacuated

Wildfires are engulfing parts of Greece, claiming the lives of three firefighters and forcing the evacuation of tourists. The blazes, fanned by strong winds and soaring temperatures, are particularly fierce on the island of Crete.

Two rescuers were killed on Crete when they became surrounded by flames while attempting to move their vehicle from one fire zone to another, according to Kathimerini newspaper, citing state broadcaster ERT. A third firefighter died battling a blaze near Gytheio on the mainland. A large fire erupted near the popular tourist destination of Rethymnon on Wednesday, with strong winds accelerating its spread.

Smaller fires have also broken out on Crete, as well as on the island of Lesbos and near Gytheio. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that 134 Swedish nationals were evacuated from Lesbos. Norwegian media outlet VG confirmed that Norwegian tourists are also being evacuated from the island.

The European Coordination Centre for Emergency Assistance has issued warnings about a high risk of wildfires in Greece and Italy in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, in France, firefighters have managed to contain a blaze near Bordeaux in the Gironde region, which had burned approximately 42,000 hectares of mainly forest. Spain is also grappling with ongoing fires, with the Interior Minister warning of difficult conditions ahead due to strong winds and high temperatures.