Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 4, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleA wildfire on Crete persists for a third day, forcing evacuations and impacting tourism as Europe faces a heatwave.
ATHENS (Reuters) -Firefighters battled for a third day on Friday to put out a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that has razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to leave the area.
Around 130 firefighters, 48 vehicles and six helicopters were deployed in the effort, working with gale-force wind gusts and dry conditions that could rekindle the fire in areas already contained.
Wind gusts could fan embers from smouldering trunks of olive and pine trees on the ground, a fire brigade official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The fire in Crete comes as much of Europe swelters in an early summer heatwave, which officials have linked to at least eight deaths on the continent.
The fire, which broke out in a village about 16 km (10 miles) east of Ierapetra on Wednesday, has consumed swathes of agricultural land in the southeastern corner of the island, leaving dead animals, damaged houses and scorched farmhouses.
Some 1,000 residents evacuated on Wednesday found temporary shelter at an indoor stadium and in nearby hotels and about 5,000 holidaymakers left the area.
Many of the evacuees were expected to make their way back home later on Friday as the situation improved, George Tsapakos, a deputy civil protection governor for Crete, told Reuters.
Tourism is a key earner in Crete, the largest island in Greece, and local hoteliers were concerned about the impact on future bookings as the fire hit at the start of the peak summer holiday season.
Separately, some 148 firefighters battled a fire that broke out in the Athens suburb of Pikermi on Thursday, threatening many homes, causing power cuts and prompting authorities to move more than 300 people to safety. The fire was contained but not extinguished, the fire brigade official said.
Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) on Friday, the Greek weather service said.
In Italy, the health ministry put 20 of the 27 cities it monitors for heatwaves on red alert on Friday. RAI public broadcaster said temperatures would go as high as 38 C in Florence and 37 C in Rome, Bologna and Perugia.
With the heat comes a higher risk of wildfires.
Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists - with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate.
(Reporting by Angeliki KoutantouEditing by Frances Kerry)
Firefighters have been battling a wildfire on Crete for a third day, which has consumed forests and olive groves, forcing thousands to evacuate.
Around 130 firefighters, along with 48 vehicles and six helicopters, have been deployed to fight the wildfire.
Gale-force winds and dry conditions are present, which could rekindle the fire in areas that have already been contained.
The wildfire has raised concerns among local hoteliers about the impact on future bookings, especially as it coincides with the peak summer holiday season.
Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit), contributing to the wildfire risk.
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