Two firefighters are dead and more than 45,000 acres of land have been reduced to ash after multiple wildfires tore thro...

Two firefighters are dead and more than 45,000 acres of land have been reduced to ash after multiple wildfires tore through southern Rethymno, Crete over the past several days. Homes, vehicles, and livestock were destroyed. Firefighting crews remained on the ground through the weekend, watching for re-ignition as winds began to ease. As of Saturday night, there was no active fire front, according to patris.gr, but authorities have kept significant forces deployed in the area due to the continued risk of flare-ups. The Kourtaliotis Gorge, one of the region's most visited natural sites, remains closed to the public until firefighters give the all-clear. A man responsible for operating the local DEDDIE power grid network in Rethymno has been charged with arson by omission, with the alleged offense linked to the fire that broke out in the Krya Vrisi area. He appeared before the Rethymno examining magistrate and was released on restrictive conditions, including a travel ban and mandatory check-ins with police. He denies the charges. His defense attorney, Andreas Argyropoulos, pushed back against the prosecution's timeline, arguing that the pressure of the disaster and the loss of two lives led to rushed procedural steps during the preliminary investigation. He described his client as one of the network's most capable employees and said the charges of network responsibility were misattributed. Meanwhile, the municipality of Mylopotamos organized a rapid solidarity response, collecting over 1,200 hot meals and hundreds of essential supplies within hours. Those were distributed to firefighters, volunteers, and residents of the affected areas, with some meals also going to the Rethymno nursing home and a local charity association. Mayor Georgios Klados credited the community's unity for making the effort possible. A temporary accommodation platform, set up by the Ministry of Tourism in cooperation with the Greek Hotel Chamber, is available through Tuesday, August 4, for displaced residents of the Agios Vasileios municipality. #Rethymno #Crete #Greece