• Thousands of people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Crete as firefighters battle a major wildfire fuelled by powerful winds.
• The blaze broke out in the Rethymno region on Wednesday and has spread rapidly, destroying homes and agricultural land. It remains one of the largest active fires on the island, with strong winds continuing to hamper efforts to bring it under control.
• Around 8,000 people were forced to flee their homes as winds reached up to 125km/h (77mph), although many have since been allowed to return. A state of emergency has been declared in parts of Crete as crews continue tackling the blaze.
• The wildfires come as several countries across southern Europe battle extreme fire conditions.

Around 4,500 hectares have been scorched since Wednesday south of Rethymno, Crete, according to the weather service of the National Observatory of Athens, citing an analysis of satellite imagery from the European Union's Copernicus programme.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned yesterday that Greece, which had largely avoided the severe heatwaves and major wildfires that struck countries such as France and Spain earlier this summer, is entering a challenging period. "August ... is traditionally a difficult month," he said.

Vasilis Vathrakoyanis, spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, said yesterday: "Conditions are expected to worsen further in the coming days."

A "very high" wildfire risk (Category 4 out of 5) is forecast for the following regions in Greece today:

• Attica - home to Athens
• Peloponnese (Corinthia, Argolis, Arcadia and Laconia regional units)
• Central Greece (Boeotia, Phthiotis, Phocis and Euboea regional units, including the island of Skyros)
• North Aegean
• South Aegean - home to the Cycladic islands, e.g. Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Naxos
• Crete
• Western Greece
• Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (Evros regional unit, including the island of Samothrace)

Turkish Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said this morning that since yesterday, firefighters have responded to 169 wildfires across the country, 110 of them outside forested areas.

Crews have brought 163 of the fires under control, he said, adding that efforts are now focused on the remaining major blazes, particularly in Cine, Aydin province, and Gomec, Balikesir province.

A water tanker belonging to the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality pictured after being engulfed by flames during a wildfire in Balikesir, Turkey(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Wildfires are burning across multiple parts of Greece, with the most serious blazes in Rethymno on the island of Crete, the Aegean island of Paros, Achaia and Megalopolis in the Peloponnese, and Agrinio in western mainland Greece.

A new fire has also broken out in Xiromi, a rural area in Boeotia in central Greece, while conditions have improved on the Aegean islands of Andros and Kalymnos, where firefighters are gradually bringing the flames under control.

A wildfire burns near the village of Asomatos in the Greek island of Crete(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Firefighters battling the huge wildfire in the Rethymno region of southern Crete resumed operations today without aerial support, as powerful winds continue to ground firefighting aircraft.

Winds on the island reached speeds of up to 125 km/h (78 mph) yesterday, which is classified as "hurricane force" on the Beaufort scale.

According to Greece's National News Agency, citing the Fire Service Coordination Centre, conditions have improved since yesterday, but the operation remains in full swing. The greatest concern is in the areas of Krya Vrysi and Asomatos.

Firefighters battle a wildfire burning near the village of Preveli in the Rethymno region on the island of Crete, Greece(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Greek authorities yesterday declared a state of emergency in parts of Crete and across other Greek islands due to the severe and fast-moving wildfires.

The blazes have been fuelled by extreme winds and the intensifying water shortage crisis amid scorching temperatures.

Properties and homes have been destroyed due to the fires but there is no clear picture of the destruction so far, Rethymno's deputy regional governor Maria Lioni said.

Lioni described Wednesday as a "dark day" for the region and said gusts overnight reached up to 11 on the Beaufort scale. Strong winds have continued to blow with around 8,000 people evacuated from their homes.

This photograph shows a destroyed beach car following a wildfire at the village of Agios Pavlos

Firefighters are continuing to tackle the blaze across several Greek islands as many have been evacuated from their homes or holiday spots.

Images show the impact of huge flames as fire crews work through the night.

Firefighters battle a wildfire burning near the village of Preveli in the Rethymno region on the island of Crete

Firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish the wildfire near the village of Agia Paraskevi, in Rethymno, on the island of Crete

As the raging have taken hold across several Greek islands it is estimated 54 square kilometres have burned.

Thousands of residents and holidaymakers have been forced to evacuated due to the blaze.

As the wildfires continue to burn the wind in the area is "unbelievable".

Residents and tourists have been evacuated from Krya Vrysi, the village where two firefighters died.

Local Chrissa Gioukaki said: "The wind is unbelievable – you can't stand sometimes. The flames were huge, it was really scary."

Thousands of people - including tourists - were evacuated on the island of Crete today as wildfires claimed the lives of three firefighters in Greece.

Two died on the island after becoming trapped while tackling a fire near Krya Vrysi in the Rethymno region.

A third firefighter died on the Greek mainland, near the port town of Gytheio in the Peloponnese.

Firefighters continue their efforts to extinguish the wildfire near the village of Agia Paraskevi, in Rethymno, on the island of Crete(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

As gusts reached 125km/h (77mph) on the island, around 8,000 people were evacuated from their homes overnight but were later allowed to return. Amid France's fires, George and Amal Clooney were forced to evacuate their home.

Full story: Tourists among thousands of people evacuated on Crete

Hellenic Fire Service chief Theodoros Vagias has expressed his condolences for the two firefighters who died on Wednesday.

The men, who became trapped while tackling a blaze near Krya Vrysi in the Rethymno region, were named as Emmanouil Stratidakis, 58, and Pantelis Diamantakis, 25.

Both will be buried on Thursday, the statement added.

A third firefighter died after being discovered unconscious near the southern Peloponnese coastal town of Gytheio.

A tourist visiting the coastal resort of Agios Pavlos for a yoga retreat with her mum says the place she had breakfast in has burned down.

Bianca Boorer said she "didn't know what to do" as she watched the fire, which was "like a volcano down the side of the mountain."

"The bar staff told us you need to get in cars and drive away but only two people had cars," she told the BBC.

"Eleven people tried to get into one tiny car and the car my mum was in was nearer to the fire," Bianca added.

"The place we had breakfast in has burnt down. Agios Pavlos hotel has burnt down, the place we did yoga in has also burnt down."

Very strong winds around the Preveli area of Crete has prevented water-dropping aircraft from helping tackle the wildfires, officials say.

It comes after new emergency evacuation alerts were issued for the tourist area as a new fire broke out near Asomatos.

According to local media, some properties caught fire, though the extent of the damage is not immediately clear.

Strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

At least 4,500 hectares (11,250 acres) of land has burned in Crete over the last two days as fierce wildfires continue raging across the island's south.

The figure, released by the National Observatory of Athens, is based on imagery provided by the Sentinel-2 satellite from the fires afflicting the island's Rethymno region.

Land burning near the village of Asomatos in Crete(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned that Greece's wildfire season is far from over.

He said the country still faced "difficult days ahead" and urged members of the public to exercise "the utmost caution."

Wildfires are common during Greece's hot, arid summers, when vegetation is dry and winds are strong.

A previous wildire that tore through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, in 2018 saw 104 people killed.

People stand next to a greenhouse during a wildfire near the village of Asomatos, Crete(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has paid tribute to the firefighters who lost their lives whilst trying to tackle the flames in Rethymno.

"I express our deepest sorrow," Mitsotakis said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday. "The state honors them, stands by their families and strengthens its actions so that Greece becomes ever better protected against the climate crisis."

Tourists and local residents from the resort village of Agia Galini have been pictured at an indoor stadium where they are temporarily accommodated as a wildfire in Rethymno, southwest of Crete, continues to burn.

Thousands were evacuated from Crete last night(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Wildfires are raging across several locations in Greece.

Three firefighters have now died tackling fires in Crete and in the Peloponnese.

Several villages have been evacuated in Crete, where two of the firefighters died after becoming trapped.

About 700 people who were evacuated from Agia Galini and the wider Agios Vasileios municipality were moved to a sports hall in the town of Moires, in neighbouring Heraklion.

Tourists and local residents from the resort village of Agia Galini shelter in an indoor stadium after being evacuated during a wildfire in Rethymno, Crete(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Tourists wait to be transferred to the Moires Indoor Sports Hall in Heraklion, Crete(Image: NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS/EPA/Shutterstock)

"Rethymno has been turned into a wasteland," Ioannis Tatarakis, the mayor of the Agios Vasileios municipality in Rethymno, told CNN Greece.

He said that although aerial firefighting resources have arrived, they are unable to operate due to gale-force winds, with efforts now focused on ground crews.

Rethymno Deputy Regional Governor Maria Lioni told public broadcaster ERT that wind gusts in southern Rethymno reached up to 11 on the Beaufort scale, making it impossible for firefighting aircraft to operate.

Force 11 winds are classed as a "violent storm", with gusts of more than 100 km/h and exceptionally high waves.

She described the situation as extremely challenging, saying around 190 firefighters are involved in the operation and that all available resources from the regional authorities have been deployed.

Firefighters tackle a wildfire in low vegetation near Krya Vrysi in Rethymno, Crete(Image: NIKOS CHALKIADAKIS/EPA/Shutterstock)

As we reported earlier, two fire engines were engulfed in flames as firefighters were attempting to extinguish a wildfire that broke out in low-lying vegetation in Agia Triada, Sitia, on the Greek island of Crete.

Two firefighters suffered minor burns and were taken to hospital.

A "very high wildfire risk" (Category 4 out of 5) has been forecast for tomorrow across large parts of Greece, including a number of islands.

The following regions are under the alert:

• Attica, where Athens is located
• Peloponnese
• Central Greece
• North Aegean, which is home to Lesvos, Chios and Samos islands among others
• South Aegean - the alert covers the Cycladic islands only (e.g. Mykonos, Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Milos, Sifnos) and not the Dodecanese (e.g. Rhodes, Kos)
• Crete
• Western Greece, which is home to Zakynthos among other islands
• Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, including the island of Samothrace

Tourists and local residents evacuated from the resort village of Agia Galini in the Rethymno area, on the Greek island of Crete(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

In Greece, a new wildfire has broken out in Paleopolis, a village on the island of Andros that was once its ancient capital, and residents have been told to evacuate.

At around 2.30pm local time, an emergency alert was issued via Greece's 112 service ordering residents in Paleopolis to evacuate towards Batsi.

The Cyclades Arson Crime Investigation Team has been mobilised to investigate the causes of the fire.

Successive heatwaves and severe drought - which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change - have hit Europe this year, making wildfires more likely and more intense.

In France, a little rain fell today near Bordeaux, raising hopes the fire that has ravaged 42,000 hectares in Gironde is nearing an end as authorities allowed some of the 220,000 displaced residents to return home.

The main blaze began last Wednesday in a pine forest near the village of Saumos, about 25 miles west of Bordeaux.

Regional firefighting chief Marc Vermeulen has said his teams will still need to spend several days dousing water on remaining flames inside the forest as well as at its edges to avoid it picking up again.

A firefighter uses a drip torch to create a firebreak during a controlled burn in a forest in Le Porge, north of the Arcachon Basin, on Thursday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Two firefighters died after becoming trapped between two fire fronts in the region of Rethymno, in southern Crete, yesterday.

A third firefighter was found unconscious near the southern Peloponnese port town of Gytheio and was later pronounced dead. They "fell heroically in the line of duty, safeguarding the lives and property of citizens as well as the natural environment", a statement from the Hellenic Fire Service said.

In southern Turkey, wildfires are burning in parts of the resort city of Antalya and Mugla province - two areas that attract large numbers of tourists during the summer.

Strong winds have caused fires in Mugla, home to the coastal resort of Bodrum, to spread rapidly.

Firefighters battle a wildfire in the Fethiye district of Mugla, Turkey(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

A forest fire in the Seydikemer district of Mugla, Turkey(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)