The Greek Coast Guard has evacuated 31 people by sea from Crete on Wednesday (29 July) after a fast-moving wildfire threatened coastal communities in the Rethymno region.
The evacuees were taken from the Agios Pavlos area on the island’s southern coast and transported safely to the port of Kokkinos Pyrgos.
The emergency operation was coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center and involved two Greek Coast Guard patrol boats, a Greek Navy vessel, a Frontex patrol craft and private vessels operating in the area.
Locals join the rescue operation
Nikos Matthaiakis joined the rescue effort on Crete.
“We did our duty too… I was called by the Port Authority at 4 pm to be on standby,” the fisherman told Cretalive.gr.
“They asked me for help and I gave it generously. I went with my fishing boat.
“It was stifling in terms of fire and smoke, but the winds were hurricane-force. They recorded up to 160 kilometres of wind gusts.”
He says he battled to the shore where tourists were waiting as the flames fast approached.
“The tavern and the accommodations were burning above. Some bottles also exploded. We could hear bangs.”
Matthaiakis ran several trips to shore, saving as many people as he could get aboard his boat.
Footage released by the Greek Coast Guard shows patrol vessels operating close to the fire-affected coastline as people are evacuated from the shore.
Wildfires causing residents and tourists to leave
The sea evacuation took place as wildfires spread across the Rethymno region, forcing residents and tourists to leave threatened areas.
Two firefighters died while battling the fires on Crete, according to reports. A third firefighter died while fighting a separate wildfire on mainland Greece.
The fires were driven by strong winds, complicating efforts to contain them and limiting the use of firefighting aircraft.
More than 200 firefighters were involved in the response as crews worked to contain the blazes.
The fires have caused damage to homes, other buildings and agricultural land, according to reports from multiple media sources.
@dailymail Greek coast guard crews evacuated at least 31 people from the coast near Rethymno on the island of Crete after a wildfire swept through the area. The evacuation involved at least three Greek coast guard vessels, a ship from Frontex, the European Union’s border and coast guard agency, and several private boats. The operation took place near the settlement of Agios Pavlos in the Rethymno region. Those evacuated were taken to another part of the island. The wildfire came as two Greek firefighters died battling separate blazes in high winds – one on Crete and another on the Greek mainland. #greece #crete #wildfire ♬ original sound – Daily Mail
Scientists say climate change is increasing the conditions that can fuel more frequent and intense wildfires, with rising temperatures contributing to hotter, drier conditions and longer fire seasons in many parts of the world. In the Mediterranean, including Greece, climate change is contributing to increased heat and drought risk, although individual fires are driven by a combination of factors including weather, vegetation, land management and potential human causes. The relationship is therefore not that climate change directly causes every wildfire, but that it can make the conditions in which fires start and spread more severe.
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