July 30, 2026, 08:08July 30, 2026, 08:08
A third firefighter has died in the forest fires in Greece. He was found unconscious near a fire near Ageranos in the south of the Peloponnese peninsula and was pronounced dead in a hospital, media reports said, citing the fire department. There was initially no information on the exact cause of death.
Another firefighter has died in the forest fires in Greece.Image: keystone
Two firefighters had previously died fighting the flames on the island of Crete. The two emergency services lost their orientation in the thick smoke and were surrounded by flames in their vehicle.
The large-scale forest and wildfire in the south of Crete is still out of control. According to civil defense, hundreds of firefighters are fighting the flames that have been spreading in the area south of Rethymno since Wednesday.
Holidaymakers brought to safety
Numerous agricultural areas, olive groves and individual houses and stables were damaged or destroyed. As a precaution, several towns were evacuated via the emergency service 112. Many holidaymakers had to be taken by boat from the region of the popular holiday resort of Agia Galini on the south coast of the island.
According to the deputy governor of the island of Crete, Maria Lioni, around 8,000 people in total were brought to safety from the town. “It was a nightmarish night,” Lioni said on Greek television.
Firefighting aircraft cannot be used at all at times
Strong and changing winds make extinguishing work considerably more difficult. According to the emergency services, firefighting aircraft and helicopters can currently only be used to a limited extent or not at all at times. The fire department therefore focuses primarily on protecting residential buildings and other infrastructure.
More than 200 firefighters with dozens of vehicles as well as volunteers are on duty, supported by municipal emergency services and the police. More reinforcements are on the way.
There was also a fire in eastern Crete, in the Sitia region. According to the authorities, the situation there is now largely under control. However, the weather forecasts suggest that the winds will increase again, which is why emergency services remain on alert. (dab/sda/dpa)