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.
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121 Articles
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.
Firefighters continue to fight heavy forest fires in Crete. Drought, heat and strong winds make the situation on site more difficult. News in the blog.
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…
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