Overview
- Two firefighters died on Crete after becoming trapped in a fire truck while battling a fast‑moving blaze that broke out in the Rethymno area, officials said.
- Strong, gale‑force winds pushed the fire into a roughly 15‑kilometre front that forced 112 emergency evacuation alerts for villages and tourist resorts.
- Greece deployed hundreds of personnel, dozens of engines, four firefighting aircraft and four helicopters to Crete while other large fires burn elsewhere in the country.
- Authorities have confirmed the two Crete deaths and some outlets report a separate fatality in Laconia that remains disputed as investigations continue.
- Investigators are examining weather conditions, possible human negligence and arson as causes, and the EU emergency coordination centre has warned of elevated Mediterranean wildfire risk in the coming weeks.