Two firefighters killed battling a wildfire on Greek island of Crete

ATHENS, July 29 - Two Greek firefighters died on Wednesday after they were trapped in the blaze they were battling on the island of Crete, the Greek Fire Service said.

The fire broke out earlier in the day in the Rethymno region of Crete, which is a popular tourism destination. It was fanned by strong winds and spread quickly near the village of Krya Vrisi in the centre of the island.

Public broadcaster ERT said that the two firefighters became trapped in the blaze while they were moving from one fire front to another in their vehicle.

"The fire front extends by 15 km (9.3 miles). Let's hope that we will save our lives and our homes," Sifis Vavourakis, president of Krya Vrysi village, told ERT, adding that the fire is out of control.

Authorities had told residents of three nearby villages, including Krya Vrysi to evacuate.

Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the EU's emergency response centre said that Greece and Italy are set to face a heightened wildfire risk in the coming weeks, threatening further disasters even as wildfires continue to blaze in Spain and France.

In a statement, Greece's firefighting department said 156 firefighters and volunteers were working to extinguish the blaze on Crete. Four firefighting aircraft and four helicopters have also been deployed to help the effort. REUTERS