Overview

• The wildfire, ignited July 2 in Crete’s Ierapetra region, spread rapidly under gale-force winds and now stretches over 6 km across multiple fronts
• Greek fire service has deployed 230 firefighters, 10 water-dropping aircraft and dozens of engines to battle flames through forest and farmland
• Emergency mobile alerts ordered the evacuation of about 3,000 residents and tourists from Achlia, Ferma, Agia Fotia and Koutsounari to temporary shelters
• Homes and infrastructure have been damaged and several people received treatment for breathing difficulties, though no serious injuries have been reported
• Officials attribute the blaze’s intensity to hot, dry conditions worsened by climate change and warn that full containment could take days