Three firefighters killed, villages evacuated as wildfires sweep Greece

Three firefighters were killed on Wednesday in two separate wildfires, one in the forests of southern Crete and the other near the city of Gythio in the Peloponnese peninsula, located at the southern tip of mainland Greece.

Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of at least seven villages, as severe weather conditions are expected to persist for at least another day.

Officials reported two additional fires in other parts of Crete and on the eastern island of Lesbos, where an evacuation order was issued for the coastal village of Plomari in southern Lesbos.

The Greek fire department said: "Thirty-seven wildfires have broken out in the past 24 hours since Tuesday evening, most of them in forests that have become extremely dry after weeks of hot, dry summer weather."