Three firefighters killed on Crete and in mainland Greece as Europe battles wildfires

Repeated heatwaves and strong winds alarm experts, who warn blazes are becoming harder to quell

Three Greek firefighters have died while tackling wildfires on the island of Crete and in the south of the mainland, the Greek fire department has said, as extreme heat hinders efforts to control blazes ravaging southern Europe.

The arc of brutal fires, which runs from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean, and from the Scottish Highlands to the south of Spain, has alarmed experts because many of the fires have been out of control and burning close to towns and cities.