The consequences of drought and heat waves, intensified by climate change, continue to batter Europe. Approximately 8,000 people were displaced on Wednesday night (29) due to wildfires threatening a tourist area on the Greek island of Crete. In Turkey, more than one hundred fire outbreaks are being fought.
Evacuations in Greece were carried out after the fire reached within a few kilometers of the village of Agia Galini. Fueled by strong winds, the flames persisted into Thursday, according to the deputy governor of the Rethymno region, Maria Lioni.
"The wind is unbelievable — sometimes you can't even stand up. The flames were enormous, it was really terrifying," Chrissa Gioukaki, a resident of the village, told Reuters.
The flames are believed to have burned homes, agricultural facilities, and livestock, but the full toll remains unclear because the outbreaks continue to be active, Lioni explained. In total, 200 firefighters and 53 trucks are operating in Rethymno, in southwestern Crete.
Two officers became trapped on a mountain road near the village of Krya Vrysi and died. In addition to the rugged terrain, the constantly shifting wind direction is hampering efforts to contain the flames.
A third firefighter fell ill and died while fighting another fire near Gythio, on the Peloponnese peninsula.
"Our thoughts are with them, as well as with all the firefighters, volunteers, and members of the security forces who are battling the fires, amid this harsh new reality they must face every year," said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The country sees the chaos surrounding wildfires repeat itself every summer, which begins in June in the Northern Hemisphere.
The situation is also critical in Turkey, where emergency responders have been fighting more than one hundred wildfires since Wednesday. Many of them have been brought under control, but they are close to popular tourist areas along the Mediterranean coast, authorities said.
The General Directorate of Forestry stated that it was carrying out "intensive operations with aerial and ground resources against the ongoing fires," particularly in the provinces of Antalya and Mugla, on the Turkish Riviera. Strong winds are also battering the country, facilitating the spread of the flames.
Operations are also continuing in the olive-growing region of Ayvalik, on the Aegean Sea, announced the governor of Balikesir province, Ismail Ustaoglu. According to him, five aircraft, six helicopters, 850 men, and hundreds of vehicles have been mobilized to fight the fire.
In November, the city of Antalya will host COP31, the United Nations climate change summit.
Turkey, which had suffered early fires in 2025 due to drought, had been spared so far this season thanks to heavy rainfall and snowfall last winter, which replenished groundwater levels and protected the vegetation.
In France and Spain, which have been suffering from historically large wildfires in recent weeks, the situation is more under control. Thousands of displaced residents were authorized to return to the affected regions starting Tuesday.
In Spain, the government lifted the state of emergency that had been declared after the flames approached the capital, Madrid. Despite this, a new fire in Fermoselle, near the border with Portugal, forced the evacuation of more than 600 people on Thursday.
The French government arrested two people on suspicion of arson.
Accelerating warming
Emergency teams barely had time to catch their breath between heat waves and fire fronts this European summer. The continent is the fastest-warming in the world, intensifying the weather conditions that lead to major wildfires.
The current wildfire season has already surpassed the record year of 2025.
