Lauran O'Toole

Wildfires on the Greek islands of Crete and Paros forced thousands of residents and holidaymakers to evacuate, with around 8,000 people fleeing Rethymno and roughly 10 villages evacuated on Paros. Three firefighters died, while properties and farmland were damaged. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned of difficult days ahead as firefighters continued battling the blazes. The fires are part of a severe European wildfire season that has also displaced hundreds of thousands of people in France and Spain.