Two Greek firefighters have died while tackling a wildfire in Crete, as southern Europe battles a surge of blazes fuelled by extreme heat and gale-force winds. The deaths near Rethymno mark the latest fatalities in a summer of record-breaking wildfires across Spain, France, Greece and Turkey, with climate change intensifying the crisis.
Crete wildfire claims lives of two firefighters
The men were trapped by flames in the Rethymno area on Wednesday, where a fire front stretched up to 15km. Witnesses reported multiple blazes spreading rapidly across the island, prompting evacuations in several villages. Wildfires have also erupted on Greece’s Aegean islands of Paros and Lesbos, as well as the mainland town of Trifylia.
In southern Turkey, authorities closed the main highway between Fethiye and Antalya and evacuated part of a hospital in Muğla province due to a separate blaze. No casualties have been reported in Turkey, but the fire disrupted critical infrastructure.
Spain and France face ‘decisive’ hours as heatwave worsens
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that the next 12 hours would be “decisive” in containing a wildfire near Madrid, which has already scorched over 43,000 hectares—the largest in Spanish history. More than 207,000 hectares have burned nationwide this year, with 24,000 people allowed to return home after evacuations in Toledo, Ávila and Castellón.
Firefighters in Ávila province reported the blaze had not advanced overnight but remained at risk of reigniting due to rising temperatures and dry winds. Meanwhile, in France’s Gironde region, officials described fires as “stabilised” but warned of flare-ups amid forecasts of 41°C heat. Defence sites handling hazardous materials were placed under special protection.
Climate change drives Europe’s worsening fire season
Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires. In Portugal, blazes near Valpaços threatened a water treatment plant and gas depot, while in Spain’s Almería region, a woman died from injuries sustained in earlier fires that claimed 14 lives, including foreign nationals.
With heatwaves persisting and winds unpredictable, authorities across southern Europe remain on high alert. The coming days will test containment efforts as temperatures soar and dry conditions persist.
