Powerful winds continued to drive wildfires in southern Crete and on the northeastern Aegean island of Lesvos on Thursday morning, as firefighters battled to contain the blazes and authorities kept evacuations and emergency services on high alert.
The largest fire was burning near the villages of Krya Vrysi, Orne and the coastal resort of Agia Galini in the Rethymno regional unit of Crete. Firefighting aircraft, ground crews, volunteers and municipal water tankers were deployed as strong winds complicated containment efforts.
Two firefighters were killed in the area on Wednbesday after being trapped in their vehicle by huge flames.
Authorities evacuated Agia Galini on Wednesday night after an emergency alert was issued through Greece’s 112 warning system. The evacuation included foreign tourists staying in the seaside resort. Seven ambulances remained on standby, while the Rethymno Hoteliers Association was compiling available accommodation to house evacuees if necessary.
Crete remained under a Category 4 “very high” wildfire risk warning on Thursday. Gusts reached up to 125 kilometers (78 miles) per hour in southern Rethymno, according to Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the National Observatory of Athens, who said severe winds were expected to persist throughout the day. Forecasters warned northerly winds could reach force 8 and locally force 9 across parts of the Aegean.
