Three firefighters killed, 29 rescued by sea as wildfires tear across Crete and Aegean islands

Rethymno fire claims two lives

A wildfire that broke out around 2:30 p.m. on 29 July near Krya Vrysi in the municipality of Agios Vasileios, southern Rethymno, spread rapidly under winds gusting beyond 10 Beaufort. It quickly grew into a front stretching almost 20 kilometres, advancing through Melambes, Sachtouria, Kryopetra, Agios Pavlos, Agios Georgios, Orne and Agia Galini. While battling the flames, two firefighters became trapped when their 4x4 vehicle was immobilised on a slope in the Sachtouria area. Pantelis Diamantakis, a 58-year-old seasonal firefighter, and Manolis Statidakis, a 25-year-old five-year-service firefighter, both from the Agia Fotini station, lost their lives. Their bodies were taken to Rethymno General Hospital; funeral services were set for the morning of 30 July, in Fourfouras for Diamantakis and in Gerakari for Statidakis.

The first information we have is that the vehicle of the two colleagues has been damaged, but it did not burn completely.

The women and men of the Fire Service fight daily a difficult battle for the protection of human life, property and the natural environment, often at the risk of their own lives.

Third fatality in Gythio

A few hours later, the deputy commander of the local fire service in Agios Georgios, Gythio, in the Peloponnese, was found unconscious outside the fire perimeter. He bore no burns and had not been injured in the field, but did not regain consciousness. The cause of death was not immediately known, deepening the toll on the Fire Service on what officials described as the most difficult day of the summer so far.

Mass evacuations and sea rescues

As the Rethymno front formed a fiery crescent around several settlements, the 112 emergency alert system ordered the evacuation of Krya Vrysi, Melambes, Sachtouria, Agios Georgios, Agios Pavlos, Triopetra, and later Ligres and Agia Paraskevi, directing residents toward Agalianos and Kerames along the coastal road. At Agios Pavlos beach, the Hellenic Coast Guard, aided by private vessels, evacuated 29 people by sea, first a group of 17 and then another 12, while patrol and rescue boats remained on standby for further extractions.

There are wind gusts that exceed 10 Beaufort.

Firefighting forces across the country

Overnight, 198 firefighters, 10 ground teams and 43 vehicles battled multiple active fronts in Rethymno. Reinforcements were en route: six vehicles and three more ground teams from Piraeus were due to arrive at first light, while additional forces from Western Greece were already at sea.

Simultaneous fires burned elsewhere. In the Agia Triada area of Sitia, eastern Crete, 48 firefighters, three ground teams and 12 vehicles fought flames. On Lesbos, the Plomari fire, which had briefly appeared to ease, exploded again, drawing 92 firefighters, five ground teams and 19 vehicles. On Paros, scattered hotspots kept 86 firefighters, four ground teams and 24 vehicles engaged.

Outlook

Meteorological services warned that the gale-force winds would persist through the next day, keeping the operational picture severe. The fire in Rethymno remained uncontained overnight, and authorities expected another full day of firefighting under extreme conditions.