Greece: Three Firefighters Die Fighting Wildfires
Three firefighters died on Wednesday while fighting wildfires in Greece. Strong winds fueled the fires across Crete and the mainland.
Fires also burned on Lesbos and in the Peloponnese region. Two firefighters died after getting trapped in their vehicle near Rethymno, Crete.
The third firefighter died responding to a separate fire near Gytheio in the Peloponnese. Doctors later confirmed his death at a hospital.
The cause was not confirmed. Two more firefighters were lightly injured during the effort.
Thousands of residents and tourists evacuated from Crete. About 2,000 tourists left the town of Agia Galini in southern Rethymno.
People also evacuated parts of Lesbos due to dangerous fire conditions. Firefighters kept battling the Crete fire into Thursday.
That marked a second day of fighting the blaze. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offered condolences over the deaths. Wildfires are also spreading across France and Spain this season.
Key Terms 4
- Crete A large Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea.
- Peloponnese A large peninsula region in southern mainland Greece.
- Lesbos A Greek island near Turkey.
- Kyriakos Mitsotakis The current Prime Minister, or top leader, of Greece.