Hotels, Homes Evacuated on Greek Island of Crete as Wildfire Burns Out of Control

Gale-force winds in the area, with gusts reaching about 50 miles per hour, are making firefighting work very difficult.

Firefighter uses a hose as the try to extinguish the blaze near the town of Ierapetra on the south coast of Crete island, Greece, on July 3, 2025. InTime News via AP

ATHENS, Greece—Firefighters were struggling Thursday to bring a major wildfire on Greece’s southern island of Crete under control, hampered by gale-force winds whipping up the flames.

Thousands of people were evacuated from hotels and homes overnight after the fire started Wednesday afternoon in the Ierapetra area on the island’s southern coast, officials said.