ATHENS — When wildfire winds devoured the Greek countryside last summer, flames cut off escape routes for dozens of people in a small coastal town until only one option remained: the sea.

Three fishermen raced to help from their boats, pulling people from the waves, where they had been struggling to breathe between the surf and a choking blanket of smoke. Months later, the men — three migrants to Greece — received their reward.

The Greek government awarded the men citizenship on Wednesday for their actions on July 23, when the fast-moving wildfire engulfed the seaside village of Mati, near Athens, and forced desperate residents and tourists into the water. The men’s actions bolstered the rescue efforts of dozens of Greek fishermen and the Coast Guard.

The wildfires were the deadliest disaster in recent Greek history, killing 100 people, some of whom drowned or died of toxic fumes or serious burns. The authorities later said that arsonists probably started the fire.