Wildfires in Crete and Larnaca trigger massive firefighting efforts

In Crete’s Rethymno region, a fire near the municipality of Agios Vasileios intensified as gale‑force winds reached up to 125 km/h, preventing aerial water drops. Authorities deployed 224 firefighters, 53 vehicles and two helicopters, while residents gradually returned to their homes as the blaze showed signs of containment.

In Larnaca, Cyprus, a separate wildfire scorched about 120 hectares of land. Local officials, including the mayor of Agia Anna, blamed the Ministry of Defence’s nearby firing range for the outbreak and demanded its removal. Fire crews remained on site through the night, and the forest department shifted responsibility for clearing the firebreak to municipal and provincial authorities.