THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Authorities urged residents of two villages in central Greece to evacuate Wednesday as more than 135 firefighters and 25 aircraft battled a wildfire, a day after a forest fire in northern Greece killed a father and his 12-year-old son.
Firefighters on Wednesday identified a body found inside a home destroyed by the fire the previous day as that of the boy. His father's body was found Tuesday outside the property, which was in a woodland area northeast of the northern city of Thessaloniki. The boy’s mother is being treated for burns in a hospital.
Wednesday’s fire was burning through forest and agricultural land in the central Greek region of Fthiotida, the fire department said. Nineteen water-dropping planes, six helicopters and 135 firefighters backed up by volunteers and special forest fire units were tackling the blaze.
At least three other wildfires broke out in Greece on Wednesday — one in the northern region of Halkidiki, another on the island of Salamina, near the Greek capital, and a third in southern Greece. All three were quickly contained, the fire department said.
While Greece suffers frequent wildfires during its hot, dry summers, it has so far been spared the heatwaves that have scorched much of western Europe in recent weeks.
In 2018, a blaze east of Athens killed more than 100 people, while a massive fire in 2023 which tore through a remote nature reserve in northeastern Greece was the largest wildfire ever recorded in the European Union.
The country has increasingly turned to technology to combat the threat of fires, exacerbated by climate change. It is integrating a dedicated array of four satellites, launched into low orbit in May, that will monitor for wildfires.
A burned house and vehicles are seen after a wildfire on the outskirts of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
A burned mountain is seen after a wildfire on the outskirts of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
A burned house and vehicles are seen after a wildfire on the outskirts of the northern port city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos)
New general manager John Chayka’s transformation of the Toronto roster isn’t dependent on youth alone.
Days after selecting play-making 18-year-old forward Gavin McKenna with the first pick in the NHL draft, Chayka added veteran depth — with Stanley Cup Final experience — in a series of moves highlighted by the signing of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21 million contract as free agency opened on Wednesday.
At nearly 38, Bobrovsky is a two-time Cup champion and leaves Florida to fill what’s been a long-unaddressed need in Toronto.
“Sergei’s a real game-changer for us in terms of the stability, the consistency, the durability,” Chayka said. “We think he’s really motivated to come into the largest hockey market in the world, and it’s important to him that he finish his career strong.”
Among the other more active teams were the San Jose Sharks. They signed free agent defenseman Jacob Trouba and forward Mason Marchment, while also acquiring defenseman Darnell Nurse in a trade with Edmonton.
Utah, coming off its first playoff appearance, signed former Islanders captain Anders Lee to a three-year, $16.2 million contract and Vincent Trochek of the Rangers as the Mammoth muscled up their front line.
Aside from Lee, and with veteran forward Patrick Kane and defenseman John Carlson still available, Bobrovsky was considered among the most prized free agents on the market.
“A sincere thank you to Sergei Bobrovsky for all he did for this organization,” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito, who this past week had traded for goalies Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid. “Things happen where decisions get made and people move on. It’s part of our game. We have nothing but appreciation for Sergei.”
Though nearly a decade removed from winning the Vezina Trophy for a second time as the NHL’s top goalie with Columbus in 2017, Bobrovsky represents an upgrade for a Leafs team that’s gone through a carousel of netminders, including five alone last season. Toronto is attempting to retool on the fly with a new coach after finishing last in the Atlantic Division standings to snap a nine-year playoff run.
The Leafs also acquired veteran forward Nick Paul in a trade with Tampa Bay, while also signing center Teddy Blueger, who won a Cup in 2023 with Vegas, center Colton Sissons and center Jack Roslovic.
The Rangers made four trades in a five-hour span, most notably sending Trocheck to Utah for defenseman Sean Durzi, prospect Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in the draft next year. They also acquired Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver for a conditional 2030 first-rounder, shipped fellow defenseman Will Borgon to Boston for picks and made an additional trade with the Bruins to get backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
New York also signed former Tampa Bay forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million contract.
The fast-improving Sharks are suddenly a destination. They acquired Nurse in a deal that sent defensive prospects Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp to Edmonton. Trouba signed a four-year, $33 million deal and Marchment signed a five-year, $33.75 million contract.
After the Sharks enjoyed a 19-win jump in the standings and barely missed the playoffs, Trouba called being part of a team on the rise behind Macklin Celebrini one of the biggest reasons he signed in the Bay Area.
“You want a team that you feel like you can grow with and make an impact and help these young guys,” Trouba said on a video call with reporters. “It’s important to get into where everybody wants to be is on a contending team, and I think we have a good opportunity in San Jose to do that.”
The Oilers shuffled goalies by acquiring Buffalo’s minor league prospect Devon Levi in a trade and added veteran Frederik Andersen on a $2.8 million contract for next season. Andersen was Carolina's goaltender on the way to the Cup final before getting injured and exiting the series.
Winnipeg signed Stuart Skinner to a two-year, $7.5 million contract with Winnipeg. The Jets' goaltending depth could be in flux with the team listening to trade offers for three-time Vezina Trophy-winner Connor Hellebuyck. Minnesota signed Calvin Pickard, while Tampa Bay got Denis Hildeby from Toronto for forward Nick pPaul.
— Washington, still waiting on Alex Ovechkin’s decision about whether to return for a 22nd NHL season, signed Columbus winger Boone Jenner ($23 million) and San Jose defenseman Vincent Desharnais ($16.8 million) to four-year contracts.
— The Los Angeles Kings signed Nashville forward Erik Haula to a two-year, $7.2 million contract. And Mats Zuccarello left Minnesota to sign with L.A..
— Chicago got veteran defenseman Ian Cole (Utah) for next season at $4.75 million.
— Colorado signed former Seattle winger Jaden Schwartz to a three-year, $9.75 million contract.
— Detroit signed Swedish winger Viktor Arvidsson (Boston) to a two-year contract worth $10 million.
In the meantime, teams were also busy retaining players.
-- Florida signed rugged defenseman Radko Gudas, who just turned 36, to a six-year deal worth $1.5 million annually for a total of $9 million. The 36-year-old Gudas played in Florida for three seasons from 2020-23 and acquired in a trade with Anaheim on Monday.
— New Jersey locked up captain Nico Hischier by signing the Swiss center to a five-year extension worth $58.5 million with an annual cap hit of $11.7 million from 2027 through 2032.
— Montreal re-signed Ivan Demidov to an eight-year, $73 million contract after the 20-year-old Russian forward led all NHL rookies with 62 points (19 goals, 43 assists) last season.
— Philadelphia got two extensions done, signing forward Tyson Foerster to an eight-year, $56.8 million contract and extending goalie Dan Vladar for five years at $27.5 million.
AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
FILE - Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram (4) looks on during the second period in Game 5 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Buffalo, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes,File)
FILE - Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky lifts the Stanley Cup after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
FILE - Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque skates during the first period in Game 5 of a first-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, April 28, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
FILE - Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner takes a timeout during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars in Pittsburgh, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
FILE - New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier gestures after overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators, April 12, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)
FILE - Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas skates during an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets, Feb. 27, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong, File)
