A multi-directional wildfire front was still raging on Wednesday evening in the southern part of Rethymno prefecture on the large island of Crete, with another 32 special fire-fighters dispatched from Athens to the scene.
A sizable force of 190 fire-fighters operating 43 vehicles battled the flames during the day, with seven water-dropping aircraft operating until dusk.
Efforts focused on keeping the wildfire away from the settlement of Aghia Paraskevi, part of the municipality of Aghios Vassilios.
An emergency notification was issued during the day to local residents to be vigilant or evacuate the area.
Gusty winds throughout the day kept the wildfire fronts swirling in different directions.
On the day, the fire brigade reported 29 new wildfires, of which 24 were immediately extinguished.
In a related development, a 66-year-old local man was arraigned on Wednesday on charges of intentionally setting fires in early June in the Vari district, southeast of Athens proper.
