Drama in Crete: Dozens Flee to Sea Due to Raging Fires
Massive wildfires in Greece, France, and Spain: two firefighters killed in Crete, dozens fled to the sea and were rescued. A resort town was evacuated, smoke reached Athens. Political storm in France over shortage of firefighting aircraft.
Massive wildfires are raging across Greece, France, and Spain, causing casualties and mass evacuations. In Crete, two firefighters were killed yesterday when they were trapped in their vehicle by flames. Dozens of people fled into the sea and were rescued by the Greek Coast Guard, which released footage of 29 people being pulled from the water. The resort town of Agia Galini was evacuated due to strong winds of up to 125 km/h. Heavy smoke reached Athens, partly from fires in Turkey. In France, a political storm erupted over a shortage of firefighting aircraft; the opposition accuses President Macron of delaying the purchase of new planes. The Bordeaux region is experiencing its largest fire since 1949, with about 405 square kilometers burned. France has requested assistance from the European Union. In Spain, fires near Madrid have consumed about 769 square kilometers, and around 100,000 people were evacuated. In the past 24 hours, progress has been made in stabilizing the hotspots, and tens of thousands are returning to their homes.