Greek authorities have ordered the evacuation of over 8,000 residents and tourists from Crete Island, while the death toll among firefighters has risen by one to a total of three amid severe wildfire conditions in Europe.
International news agencies report that wildfires on Crete Island in Greece have spread rapidly, fueled by strong winds. This forced authorities to urgently evacuate about 8,000 residents and tourists amid a wildfire and heatwave crisis affecting several European countries.
On Crete Island, winds reached speeds of up to 125 km/h, causing the wildfires to spread quickly and making them difficult to control. The fires destroyed homes, agricultural lands, and tourist resorts, including hotels and shops in the Agios Pavlos area, which were completely burned down.
Two firefighters attempting to control the situation on Crete Island have died after being surrounded by the wildfires, while another firefighter died on mainland Greece.
Meanwhile, wildfires in Ávila province, Spain, have destroyed over 43,000 hectares, marking the largest wildfire in Spain's history. In 2026 alone, Spain has lost more than 200,000 hectares to wildfires, five times the average annual area.
However, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has lifted the national emergency in the Madrid and Ávila areas after the fires stopped spreading, though he warned officials to remain on high alert due to the country's fourth heatwave.
In France, rainfall has helped stabilize the wildfire situation in Gironde province, where fires destroyed 240 homes and burned an area larger than the city of Detroit. The government has allowed approximately 84,000 residents to return home after evacuations.
France has seen wildfires burn over 90,000 hectares this year, the highest area ever recorded.
Several factors have contributed to the unusually severe wildfires in Europe, including favorable winter conditions that promoted plant growth followed by prolonged heat waves that dried vegetation. Combined with global warming and insufficient forest and brush management in the Mediterranean region, this created ample fuel for the fires to spread intensely.
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Source:BBC