Rethymno: Large warehouse fire

Strong firefighting forces were mobilized on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 18, 2026 for a fire that broke out at professional facilities in Sfakaki, Rethymno. According to local media, it is a distillery, which was burning completely at the time of the first reports. Ekriti places the building near the National Road, at the height of Estaurothymeni. In the extinguishing, 21 firefighters and a hiking unit of the 3rd Special Unit of Forest Operations are operating. Regarding the number of vehicles, sources differ: Cretalive and Patris report seven fire trucks, while ekriti mentions ten. The difference in the number of vehicles is likely explained by the gradual reinforcement of forces during the incident and not by contradictory information.

Firefighters’ efforts focused from the beginning on preventing the fire from spreading beyond the boundaries of the facilities. According to the Fire Service, at the time of the reports, there was no danger of spread to neighboring properties or vegetation. No injuries or entrapment were reported. Dense smoke covered the wider area and was visible from a great distance, a fact that caused multiple calls from citizens to 199. Distillery facilities by definition contain flammable liquids of high alcohol content, a factor that complicates extinguishing and requires special safety measures for crews. Additional water trucks were placed on the perimeter, while firefighters worked with protective equipment due to fumes that develop during the burning of spirits.

For the investigation of causes, the Arson Crime Investigation Unit of Heraklion was mobilized, which is responsible for all of Crete. The exact causes remained unknown and no estimate was given by the authorities. The mobilization of the investigative unit is a typical procedure in every fire that causes serious material damage to commercial space and does not prejudge any case of arson. The recording of damages will follow after complete extinguishing and checking the structural adequacy of the building. Similar units examine each time the electrical installation, mechanical equipment and maintenance history before concluding on the cause.

Sfakaki is located east of the city of Rethymno, in an area where tourist facilities, residences and small production facilities coexist. Proximity to the National Road means that incidents of this type affect driver visibility, although no traffic interruption was reported. The current fire season in Crete has been marked by a series of incidents, the most recent being the major fire in Sellia of the Municipality of Agios Vasileios. More about the county in the Rethymno section. During the summer months, the firefighting forces of the county operate with increased readiness, as every mobilization in an urban or technical incident removes personnel from forest protection.

Update 16:00: According to later reports on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 18, the distillery suffered complete destruction. The available sources differ, however, as to the exact location of the incident and the difference has not been resolved: ekriti.gr and Patris place the fire in Sfakaki, while CRETA24 places it in Adelianos Campos and dates it to Tuesday afternoon, August 18. The two settlements adjoin along the same coastal zone east of the city of Rethymno, which explains how such a deviation can occur in the first recording, without this constituting confirmation for either of the two versions. No Fire Service announcement has been issued officially determining the location of the facility, nor has an estimate been given for the extent of damages or causes. TodayGrid will update the text as soon as official clarification exists.

Update 17:56: The fire was brought under control and extinguished, with extensive damage to the inside of the building. The cleanup process was underway, with firefighting forces remaining at the scene to prevent re-ignition. No injuries were reported. Recording of damages and determining the cause are pending.