A wildfire that ignited in the municipality of Amari, Rethymno, Crete, has spread north due to strong winds reaching the municipality of Agios Vasileios on Wednesday.

Village of Agia Paraskevi is under threat and efforts are underway to prevent the destruction of homes. Village has been evacuated and firefighters with police officers are conducting checks to ensure all residents have been safely removed.

Meanwhile, 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.

29 fires reported across Greece in the past 24 hours
Additionally, Fire Service data reports that there have been 29 agricultural and forest fires in Greece over the past 24 hours. Of these, 24 have been swiftly contained while firefighters continue to battle the remaining five fires.

(story updated/file photo)