Three firefighters die battling wildfires in Greece

Three firefighters have died battling wildfires in Greece, with strong winds fanning new fires in parts of the country. The Greek fire service said two firefighters had died battling a wildfire on the island of Crete. Another firefighter was found unconscious near the port of Gythio in the Peloponnese peninsula and later died.
Local media reported he died of complications. State television ERT reported that two firefighters died when their fire truck became stuck in a blaze on a hill near the western city of Rethymno. “The two firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty,” said Yiannis Artopios, deputy spokesman for the fire service.
Local official Siphis Vavourakis said the fire near Rethymno had spread over an area of ​​more than 15 kilometers and was out of control. More than 150 firefighters and eight aircraft have been deployed to fight the blaze. However, winds of up to 74 kilometers per hour are making it difficult to control the fire from the sky. Residents have been evacuated from at least six villages due to this situation.
Meanwhile, the wildfire has also spread to the islands of Paros and Lesbos and the regions of Messinia and Laconia in the Peloponnese. Residents of about 10 villages on Paros were evacuated to safer places on Tuesday and Wednesday. Later, local authorities reported that the situation there had improved somewhat. 50 firefighters, 13 fire engines and six aircraft are working to control the fire at a garbage dump near the town of Plomari on Lesbos.
Every year, the risk of wildfires increases in Greece during the summer due to prolonged drought, intense heat waves and strong winds. These factors help the fires spread quickly. The country’s Civil Protection Ministry has issued a fire risk near the highest alert for Crete, greater Athens, the eastern Peloponnese and most islands in the Aegean Sea for Thursday.