Wildfire rages in Rethymno, Crete; Reinforcements arrive from Athens

Wildfire in southern Rethymno continues to burn as firefighting teams from Athens are deployed to assist with the efforts.

Thirty-two forestry commandos were airlifted to Rethymno on Wednesday evening. Currently, 190 firefighters, 10 specialized forestry teams and 45 fire trucks are engaged in combating the blaze. Two aircraft and five firefighting helicopters were involved in the operation until sunset.

Increased resources are concentrated in the village of Agia Paraskevi in the municipality of Agios Vasileios. Firefighters are also addressing other fire fronts, though these are currently away from residential areas.