Rethymno wildfire kills two as Crete blaze runs out of control

Two firefighters died near Rethymno on Wednesday after losing their bearings in thick smoke inside a fire truck as an out-of-control wildfire tore across western Crete, Greek authorities said. Roughly 6,000 tourists were ordered out of the coastal resort Agia Galini as strong winds pushed a fire front more than 15 kilometers long.

The blaze erupted Wednesday afternoon around Nea Krya Vrysi in the Rethymno region. A local community representative told broadcaster ERT the fire was "out of control." For more breaking alerts, see BlasterPost Fintech & Crypto Alerts.

Key Takeaways

• Two firefighters died near Rethymno after becoming trapped in dense smoke in their fire vehicle.
• The Crete fire front stretched more than 15 kilometers amid shifting, powerful winds.
• About 6,000 tourists were evacuated from Agia Galini toward Tymbaki.
• Aerial crews had to abort missions as winds reached up to 74 km/h.
• Greece issued near-top fire warnings for Crete and much of the Aegean.

What happened to the firefighters near Rethymno?

According to the fire service, the two crew members were operating at the edge of a mountain near Rethymno when thick smoke left them disoriented inside their fire truck. They were then surrounded by flames.

Reporting from n-tv and other outlets said crews were trapped as winds closed in. Separately, another firefighter was found lifeless near the port of Gytheio on the Peloponnese; the exact cause of death was initially unclear.

Why was Agia Galini evacuated?

Greek civil protection ordered the evacuation of Agia Galini on Crete's south coast as the fire advanced. Greek media said about 6,000 tourists were affected and were directed southeast toward Tymbaki.

Farther west at Agios Pavlos, the coast guard took 29 people to safety by sea. Mayor Yiannis Tatarakis of Agios Vasileios told AFP the wind kept shifting, allowing crews to become enclosed very quickly. Crete firefighters said they deployed more than 150 personnel and eight water-bombing planes, but helicopters and aircraft had to turn back and land when winds grew too severe.

How widespread is the fire danger across Greece?

Winds of up to 74 kilometers per hour also fed fires on Paros and Lesbos and in Messinia and Laconia on the Peloponnese. Authorities said about ten villages on Paros were evacuated as a precaution.

The Ministry for Civil Protection issued nearly the highest fire warning for Thursday across Crete, the greater Athens area, the eastern Peloponnese, and most Aegean islands. Strong northerly Meltemi winds were forecast to keep spreading risk in the days ahead, making large fires harder to contain.