New Heatwave Raises Wildfire Fears as Greek Firefighters Die

Three firefighters have died tackling wildfires in Greece as a fourth heatwave of the summer began across Spain and France, raising fears that fires only just brought under control could flare up again, the BBC reported.

Two firefighters died in Crete after becoming trapped when a blaze swept through the Rethymno region in the island's west, where gale-force winds fanned the flames and forced the evacuation of several villages. A third died after being found unconscious near the port town of Gytheio in the southern Peloponnese.

Fires spreading fast in Crete

Witnesses described several fires breaking out across Crete and moving quickly, with the worst fire front extending as far as 15km (9.3 miles).

Residents and tourists were evacuated from Krya Vrysi, the mountain village where the two firefighters died.

"The wind is unbelievable – you can't stand sometimes. The flames were huge, it was really scary," resident Chrissa Gioukaki told Reuters.

A wider regional emergency

The fires were not confined to Crete. Blazes also broke out on the Aegean islands of Paros and Lesbos, and at Trifylia in the southern Greek mainland.

In southern Turkey, a fire in Muğla province forced the closure of the main highway linking Fethiye and Antalya, and part of a hospital was evacuated.

Heat returning to Spain and France

The deaths in Greece coincided with the start of a fourth heatwave of the summer in Spain and France, where crews were working to prevent major wildfires that had recently been contained from reigniting.

That combination — recently burned ground, exhausted firefighting crews and returning extreme heat — is what makes this stage of the season particularly hazardous. Fires that appear controlled can restart when temperatures climb and winds pick up, and the resources needed to hold them have often already been stretched by earlier emergencies.

For residents who had been allowed to return home after earlier evacuations, the renewed heat means the possibility of being moved again with little warning.

Reporting basis: BBC World, with additional detail from Reuters.