Greece wildfires live: Crete among holiday islands in flames amid mass evacuations

Greece wildfires live: Crete among holiday islands in flames amid mass evacuations Flames are tearing across Greek Islands, forcing the evacuation of entire villages on Crete, Paros and Andros as wildfires continue to sweep across Europe Raging wildfires have taken hold across several Greek islands, forcing villages to be evacuated as firefighters struggle to contain the flames. Wildfires in the Rethymno area of the south of Crete are burning "out of control on all fronts", with firefighting aircraft unable to be deployed due to strong winds and thousands of people evacuated, including tourists. Urgent evacuation orders have also been issued for parts of Paros and Andros. Three firefighters have died in Greece, with two becoming trapped in a vehicle while tackling flames in Crete. Meanwhile, Europe's emergency response chief warned the entire continent could be engulfed as intense blazes rage in France, Spain and Portugal. "Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire," she said yesterday. Key Events A "very high wildfire risk" (Category 4 out of 5) has been forecast for tomorrow across large parts of Greece, including a number of islands. The following regions are under the alert: - Attica, where Athens is located - Peloponnese - Central Greece - North Aegean, which is home to Lesvos, Chios and Samos islands among others - South Aegean - the alert covers the Cycladic islands only (e.g. Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Milos, Sifnos) and not the Dodecanese (e.g. Rhodes, Kos) - Crete - Western Greece, which is home to Zakynthos among other islands - Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, including the island of Samothrace In Greece, a new wildfire has broken out in Paleopolis, a village on the island of Andros that was once its ancient capital, and residents have been told to evacuate. At around 2.30pm local time, an emergency alert was issued via Greece's 112 service ordering residents in Paleopolis to evacuate towards Batsi. Successive heatwaves and severe drought - which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change - have hit Europe this year, making wildfires more likely and more intense. In France, a little rain fell today near Bordeaux, raising hopes the fire that has ravaged 42,000 hectares in Gironde is nearing an end as authorities allowed some of the 220,000 displaced residents to return home. The main blaze began last Wednesday in a pine forest near the village of Saumos, about 25 miles west of Bordeaux. Regional firefighting chief Marc Vermeulen has said his teams will still need to spend several days dousing water on remaining flames inside the forest as well as at its edges to avoid it picking up again. Two firefighters died after becoming trapped between two fire fronts in the region of Rethymno, in Crete's south-west, on Wednesday. A third firefighter was found unconscious near the southern Peloponnese port town of Gytheio and was later pronounced dead. They "fell heroically in the line of duty, safeguarding the lives and property of citizens as well as the natural environment", a statement from the fire service said. In southern Turkey, wildfires are burning in parts of the resort city of Antalya and Mugla province - two areas that attract large numbers of tourists during the summer. Strong winds have caused fires in Mugla, home to the coastal resort of Bodrum, to spread rapidly. Meanwhile, in the east of England, properties have been evacuated as firefighters battle a large heathland blaze on the Suffolk coast during the UK’s fourth heatwave of the summer. A major incident was declared after Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service responded to reports of a wildfire at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, shortly after 5.30pm yesterday. "Following the update throughout the night, crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue are still tackling a large wildfire at Dunwich Heath," the fire service said in an update this morning. A spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service told Greek public broadcaster ERT this morning that a few active fire fronts remain in Plomari, Lesvos, which he said 52 firefighters and teams of volunteer hikers are working to extinguish. However, he warned that strong winds mean there is a great risk of flare-ups. The secretary general of France's biggest police union, Alliance, has slammed the thefts and burglaries that have taken place in the towns ravaged by wildfires in the Gironde region. In a scathing post on X titled "Bordeaux: the face of shame", Fabien Vanhemelryck said yesterday: “While police officers, firefighters, rescue workers, volunteers and all emergency services are fighting tirelessly… Others choose to become predators. Yes, predators. Individuals are taking advantage of human distress to steal the belongings of evacuees. Looting and burglaries have led to arrests in the disaster areas." He said that in Bordeaux's Parc des Expositions reception centre, "riot police are forced to patrol day and night to protect the belongings of families who have already lost everything. Even more outrageous, there are reports of individuals demanding money from people simply wanting to use the toilets". "How long will we tolerate thugs taking advantage of every disaster to steal, loot, extort, or terrorise those who are already suffering?" he added. The wildfires in southern Rethymno, on the Greek island of Crete, remain "out of control on all fire fronts", Greek public broadcaster ERT reports. A blaze broke out at around 2.30pm yesterday in low-lying vegetation near the village of Krya Vrysi. Around 8,000 people have been evacuated from parts of Rethymno. George Tsambakos, Crete's deputy regional governor, told ERT that strong winds have prevented firefighting aircraft from being deployed. The huge fire that ravaged 42,000 hectares in Gironde remains "stable" after "a rather calm night", the prefecture said this morning, adding that it expects "rather favourable" weather conditions, with cooler temperatures and some showers expected. Temperature in the region are set to hover between 27C and 34C today - a significant drop from the scorching highs of 41C seen yesterday. Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said yesterday: "If the night goes well, we can reasonably be more optimistic for tomorrow [Thursday] and for the days to come, because the weather, finally, will be a little more favourable to us with a drop in temperatures. "And if this is confirmed, we can consider a return to a more normal life for the inhabitants." In Greece, two firefighters, aged 25 and 58, were killed yesterday when they became trapped while battling a blaze at Krya Vrysi, a small mountain village in Rethymno, on the island of Crete. Tragically, Padelis Diamadakis - the youngest of the two - had only just started working as a seasonal firefighter after completing his studies, according to Greek media. A third firefighter, aged 27, died after being found unconscious yesterday while tackling a wildfire iin Gytheio, a port town on the Mani peninsula in the southern Peloponnese region. Meanwhile, two firefighters narrowly escaped with minor burns after two fire engines were engulfed in flames yesterday during a wildfire in Sitia, Lasithi, on Crete, the Hellenic Fire Service said. The three deaths came as wildfires ravaged the islands of Paros and Lesvos. Fires have not spread compared to the previous days, the local administration for La Nouvelle Aquitaine et de la Gironde said in a statement on X. The amount of ground burnt remained at 42,000 hectares. Two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson as firefighters try to stop the spread of wildfires near Bordeaux , according to reports from France24. The UK government says it is committed to working with France to address the 'threat' of wildfires and help out in the wake of the devastating impact currently being seen in France. In a statement, a government spokesperson said: "In the context of the unprecedented wildfires and heatwaves being experienced across Europe as a consequence of the global climate crisis, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the Right Honourable Edward Samuel Miliband, and the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, reaffirm their shared determination to address this threat. "The two Ministers affirm that this summer’s wildfires demonstrated the risks posed to Europe by climate change and call on all countries to intensify their efforts to tackle its causes while boosting resilience to its effects. "Building on the UK–France Declaration of Intent on Global Issues and Development signed in 2025, they commit to strengthening cooperation to anticipate, prevent and respond to climate-related risks, especially wildfires, as well as to deepen coordination through their broader climate and environmental partnership, including through multilateral fora. "Recognising that the increasing impacts of climate change know no borders, the United Kingdom and France will work together to advance international efforts on climate resilience, including through enhanced adaptation measures, strengthened preparedness and risk reduction, and coordinated responses to threats that affect our shared environment, security and prosperity." George and Amal Clooney have been forced to evacuate their home in Brignoles, in the south-east of France as wildfires ravage parts of Europe. According to People, the Clooneys wrote a letter to Brignoles Mayor Didier Brémond addressing the wildfires. "Dear Didier, at this point we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment," the letter began. "As we evacuate Brignoles we want to emphasise two things, first we hope you and the people of our city are safe and 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." "Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if (it is) there as well, we will have all Europe on fire," Maria Zuber, head of the EU's Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre has warned. The wildfires in Spain have forced a community of Augustinian nuns to evacuate their monastery, The Catholic Weekly reports. A statement from July 27 said the sisters of the Monastery of the Conversion in Sotillo de la Adrada were evacuated July on July 25 and "had no choice but to leave the monastery." "We especially ask for prayers for all the volunteers and security forces who are tirelessly working to extinguish the fires," the statement read. Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters responded to the blaze in an East London suburb on the evening of Wednesday, July 29. Around four hectares of grassland was alight. France saw heatwave records in the southwest of the country as wildfires continue to rage. Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze) recorded 42.2°C, while Tarbes crossed the 40°C threshold for the first time in its history, with 40.2°C, after nearly 80 years of meteorological records. Huge flames and clouds of smoke can be seen rising from widfire in the Balikesir area of Turkey. Firefighters have been tackling the blaze in the north of the country while there are similar fires in the south which are in tourist areas like Antalya. Water has been dropped on the flames while firefighters are also tackling the blaze from the ground. Hundreds of firefighters have also been battling flames in the southern Mugla province, with more than 20 planes and helicopters dousing the flames, the agriculture ministry said. Two firefighters have died while battling a wildfire in the Rethymno region of Crete, Greece’s fire department said. They were among about 125 firefighters confronting flames fanned by strong winds, with four helicopters and four water-dropping planes deployed. The circumstances of their deaths were not immediately clear. The department said they died “in the line of duty to protect the lives and property of citizens and the natural environment.” A third firefighter was found dead later outside the perimeter of a separate wildfire in the Peloponnese. Today is predicted by the French national weather agency to have been the hottest and driest day of the week, with elevated wildfire danger across every region of France. Drought now covers mainland France and Corsica, with soils nearing the record dryness reached in August 2022. Smoke from the Gironde and Landes fires also pushed particulate pollution higher across both departments, regional air-quality monitors said. Gironde is France’s biggest wildfire battle, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said, with the advance of major fires in the Landes and Var regions halted. The Gironde fire has forced 220,000 people to flee at the peak of the crisis, tens of thousands have since been allowed home, but authorities warned that the danger had not passed. Extreme heat strips moisture from vegetation and drives down humidity, turning grasses, brush and forest litter into faster-burning fuel. Investigators believe contractors working near a high-voltage line for power-grid operator Enedis ignited the blaze while using a brush-cutting machine, Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul said. A level two extreme warning has been issued for wildfires in Fermoselle, Zamora, and surrounding areas. The Civil Guard said: "Evacuation and relocation of residents from several localities is underway, including the evacuation of the Muga de Sayago Nursing Home. "Exercise extreme caution and facilitate passage to emergency services." There are four levels from 0-3. More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft are mobilised to tackle flames in the south of France. “We strike quickly and strike hard at any new smoke emissions,” Gironde fire commander Matthieu Jomain said. Beyond the command centre in Lege, civilians were trying to hold the line themselves. At Souge, volunteers flooded the edges of dirt tracks while a local digger driver plowed through still-burning soil, trying to keep flames from crossing back when the expected west wind arrived. In Lacanau, residents pumped water from a lake into tanks headed for hot spots and firefighters’ cisterns. “If one day the fire starts in our neck of the woods, I know very well that all the people here would do the same for us,” said Flavien Dubuch, 33, who drove from Saint-Émilion with his father to help. Firefighters are battling a wildfire in south-west France which covers an area four times the size of Paris as temperatures were forecast to reach 40C. Authorities in the Gironde region said the blaze had not spread further during a calm night but warned that forecast heat and winds could cause the flames to surge again. The landscape was so combustible that investigators believe routine brush-clearing work near a high-voltage line may have sparked the inferno, even though the work appeared to comply with regulations. A fire has reignited in the Var region, in the Jausseranne area, with 200 firefighters mobilised along with six firefighting helicopters and three more Canadair planes. The prefecture wrote on X: "Around 5 PM, a fire broke out in the Jausseranne area near the landfill southeast of Brignoles. It is currently heading north. 200 firefighters are mobilized, supported by 6 water-bomber helicopters and 3 Canadairs. "Do not go to the area. Priority to emergency services." Residents have been evacuated from seven towns near Bermillo de Sayago due to the advance of a forest fire Emergency services have also ordered the lockdown of Fermoselle, a municipality that has also been placed under lockdown, and images show huge flames ripping through the vegetation. The evacuated towns are: Cibanal, Formariz, Fornillos de Fermoselle, Palazuelos de Sayago, Pinilla de Fermoselle, Mámoles, and Záfara, where residents should go to Bermillo de Sayago. Authorities have reported an active forest fire in the Toledo municipality of Villamuelas. To control this outbreak, three aircraft, five ground vehicles and 30 forest firefighters and environmental agents have been deployed, reported the Forest Fire Prevention and Extinction Service of Castilla-La Mancha.