Disasters & Incidents
Crete wildfire not contained after 8,000 evacuated
Greek firefighters were still battling a wildfire on Crete on Friday after about 8,000 people were evacuated, with authorities saying conditions around Rethymno had improved but the blaze was not yet contained.
A fire department spokesperson said there were still many hotspots. Strong winds and rugged terrain continued to hamper firefighting efforts.
About 4,500 hectares, or 11,120 acres, were scorched on Wednesday and Thursday south of the tourist town of Rethymno, according to meteo.gr, the weather service of the National Observatory of Athens, citing European Union Copernicus satellite imagery analysis.
Extensive damage was reported around the seaside resort of Agia Galini, where residents and tourists were evacuated on Wednesday evening. Most evacuees have since returned to their homes and hotels.
A separate wildfire was burning on the Peloponnese peninsula near the village of Floka, south of Patras. The fire service said four water-bombing aircraft and three helicopters were deployed there. Wildfires were also burning on the Aegean islands of Paros, Kalymnos and Andros, although the fire service said the situation there was better.
Many parts of Greece, including the Athens region, Crete, numerous Aegean islands and parts of the Peloponnese, faced a very high wildfire risk on Friday, the second-highest level on Greece's five-point scale, according to Greek civil protection.
Winds of up to 88 kph were forecast for Friday, disrupting ferry services to islands popular with tourists. Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said strong winds and dense smoke were creating near-zero visibility and severe turbulence, making aerial water drops extremely difficult, particularly in Crete.
Greek authorities said three firefighters had died this week while battling wildfires in Crete and the Peloponnese.
Update
Extensive damage was reported around Agia Galini, including the destruction of a local cafe.
A separate wildfire near Floka, south of Patras, prompted deployment of four water-bombing aircraft and three helicopters.
Winds of up to 88 kph were forecast and disrupted ferry services to tourist islands.
Greek officials said strong winds and smoke were making aerial water drops extremely difficult, particularly in Crete.
Additional firefighting resources were dispatched to Crete.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 July 2026 at 09:20:55 UTC.
Update
Greek authorities said conditions around Rethymno had improved but the Crete wildfire had not been contained.
Meteo.gr said about 4,500 hectares had been scorched on Wednesday and Thursday south of Rethymno, citing Copernicus satellite imagery analysis.
Authorities said strong winds and rugged terrain continued to complicate firefighting operations.
Greek authorities said fires were also burning on Paros, Kalymnos and Andros, though the situation was better.
Most people evacuated from Agia Galini have since returned to homes and hotels.
Many parts of Greece faced a very high wildfire risk on Friday.
Greek authorities said three firefighters had died this week while battling wildfires in Crete and the Peloponnese.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 July 2026 at 06:59:31 UTC.
Update
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed condolences and said the EU was preparing additional support for Greece.
Authorities ordered precautionary evacuations after a second fire broke out near Asomatos, about 60 kilometres from the first Crete blaze.
The situation around Agia Galini was reported to be improving on Thursday, with some holidaymakers returning to resorts.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 July 2026 at 14:39:37 UTC.
Update
Agia Galini resorts had reopened and visitors had been allowed to return, according to the mayor of Agios Vassilios.
A hotelier in Agia Galini said holidaymakers were returning and that there had been worry during the evacuations but no panic.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of difficult days ahead as summer heat persisted and urged care to prevent fires started by negligence.
Meteo.gr reported wind shears of up to 120 kilometres per hour in the Rethymno area and a fire front of more than 12 kilometres.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 July 2026 at 10:52:48 UTC.
Update
A local civil protection official said the Rethymno fire front was more than 15 kilometres long.
The official said inhabited areas were not under immediate threat because the fire was mainly burning forest and agricultural land.
Nearly 100 firefighters were separately tackling a fire near Plomari on Lesbos.
Meteo.gr said wind shears in the Rethymno area had reached up to 125 kilometres per hour and were expected to remain high on Thursday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 July 2026 at 07:04:28 UTC.
Update
Two firefighters died after being trapped on a mountain road near Krya Vrysi.
A third firefighter collapsed and died during efforts against a separate fire near Gytheio in the Peloponnese.
The Crete fire came within one kilometre of Agia Galini before changing direction.
More than 200 firefighters and 53 fire engines were deployed in the Rethymno area.
Winds of up to 102 kilometres an hour prevented most aircraft from taking on seawater.
Source note: AFP news report published on 30 July 2026 at 06:18:39 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The full extent of damage around Agia Galini had not been quantified.
The Crete fire still had multiple hotspots and was not fully under control.
Source
AFP news report published on .