Massive fire continues to ravage Greece's Crete island amid fierce winds

Fire continues to rage in the area surrounding the tourist town of Rethymno on the island of Crete, according to Greek firefighters, who noted an “improvement” in the situation but expressed concern over another blaze in the Peloponnese peninsula.

A spokesperson for the Fire Service told Agence France-Presse that “the situation in Rethymno is better,” but the fire “remains out of control” and “several hotspots are still burning.”

In the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece, near the port of Patras, a fire broke out that has alarmed authorities. Firefighters told AFP that four firefighting aircraft and three helicopters were deployed near the village of Vlocha, south of Patras.

Greek fire brigades were placed on maximum alert on Friday due to strong winds sweeping across large parts of the country. Many areas, including Athens, Crete, numerous islands in the Aegean Sea, and parts of the Peloponnese, were classified at the “very high risk” level for wildfires, the fourth level on a five-point scale.

Fire Service spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis said during a press conference on Thursday evening that Greece’s island geography “complicates the rapid deployment of emergency teams,” adding that reinforcements had been sent to Crete.

He added that “strong winds and thick smoke columns (...) make water-dropping operations extremely difficult, if not impossible,” particularly in Crete.

On Wednesday evening, Greek authorities issued evacuation orders for approximately 8,000 residents and tourists from the coastal area of Agia Galini on Crete. All had since been allowed to return to their homes and hotels.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned on Thursday that Greece, which had not experienced the heatwaves and major wildfires seen earlier in the summer in France and Spain, was facing “difficult days.”

The Fire Service spokesperson said, “Conditions are expected to worsen further in the coming days.”