Two firefighters died on Crete after becoming trapped while tackling a wildfire near Krya Vrysi in the Rethymno region. A third firefighter died on the Greek mainland, near the port town of Gytheio in the Peloponnese. Thousands of people, including tourists, were evacuated on the island.
Evacuations and wind conditions
As gusts reached 125km/h (77mph) on Crete, around 8,000 people were evacuated from their homes overnight but were later allowed to return. The fire broke out in the Rethymno region and has spread rapidly, destroying homes and agricultural land. It remains one of the biggest fires currently active on the island and is still burning out of control.
Rethymno's deputy regional governor Maria Lioni said there was no clear picture of the destruction so far, adding that containing the fire was the main priority. She described the "dark day" for the region as gusts overnight reached up to 11 on the Beaufort scale, a wind force categorised as "violent", fanning the flames and hampering containment efforts.
Tourist experiences
Some of those evacuated in Rethymno were moved into a temporary shelter. British tourist Peter Wood said: "It was frightening. We could see the flames in the hills above the village, and the police and firefighters were just telling everyone to leave straight away." The blaze came during one of Crete's busiest months for tourism.
Firefighter casualties
Hellenic Fire Service chief Theodoros Vagias expressed his condolences for the two firefighters who sacrificed their lives, naming them as 58-year-old Emmanouil Stratidakis and Pantelis Diamantakis, 25. Both will be buried today, the statement added.
Fires in other countries
In France, actor George Clooney and his wife Amal were forced to evacuate their home in Brignoles, a village in the south. In a letter addressed to Didier Bremond, mayor of Brignoles, Clooney promised the pair are "committed" to supporting the community. The letter read: "Dear Didier, At this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment. As we evacuate Brignoles we want to emphasise two things, first we hope you and the people of our city are safe. Second that Amal and I are committed to making sure that whatever happens to our village, we are part of this community and we'll be part of making it whole. We love Brignoles and our friends who live there."
In Spain, several fires have continued to burn, although Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared an end to the national emergency for wildfires in the Ávila and Madrid regions. In the Madrid region, 24,000 people have been told they can return and restrictions on another 20,000 have been lifted. Fourteen people died in the Almería region of Spain earlier this month, including UK and Belgian nationals as well as US, French and Spanish citizens. Fires are also burning in neighbouring Portugal, in the north-eastern district of Vila Real. In south-west France, some residents have been able to return to their homes after a major wildfire in the Gironde region.
