Deadly wildfires are sweeping across southern Europe, killing at least three people in Spain, Turkey and Albania as firefighters struggle against flames fuelled by weeks of scorching temperatures.
In Greece, emergency teams are working desperately to shield Patras, the nation’s third-largest city, where fires have consumed surrounding pine forests and olive groves, destroying dozens of vehicles and moving dangerously close to residential neighbourhoods.
“Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country,” fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said on Wednesday, adding that at least 15 firefighters needed medical treatment for injuries and exhaustion.
The perilous mix of “high temperatures, strong winds … and minimal humidity” has created ideal conditions for fires to spread, according to Nikos Gyftakis, civil protection head for western Greece.
In Spain, authorities have evacuated nearly 6,000 residents as flames threaten the UNESCO World Heritage Roman mining site in Castile and Leon. Seven people have been hospitalised with burns, with four in critical condition.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska announced late on Wednesday that Spain had requested European Union assistance, including two water-bombing aircraft.
He called on European allies to deploy the planes rapidly, given “weather forecasts” suggesting conditions could deteriorate, telling Cadena Ser radio that Spain might also request additional firefighting personnel if needed.
In neighbouring Portugal, more than 2,100 firefighters and 20 aircraft are battling five large blazes, concentrating efforts on a fire in central Trancoso that has been burning since Saturday.
Powerful wind gusts reignited flames overnight, threatening nearby villages where television footage showed residents joining firefighters beneath thick smoke clouds.
“It’s scary … but we are always ready to help each other,” a mask-wearing farmer told Sic Noticias television while holding a spade.
Across the Balkans, dozens of fires have overwhelmed emergency services, with drought and a prolonged heatwave intensifying the region’s typical fire season.
An 80-year-old man died in Albania on Tuesday night after losing control of a garden fire that rapidly spread to adjacent homes, injuring eight people.
Albanian authorities have evacuated residents in central and southern regions, while improving weather in neighbouring Montenegro has helped firefighters protect homes.
Even typically cool Britain faces wildfire risks during its fourth summer heatwave, with authorities declaring a “major incident” at North York Moors National Park, where approximately five square kilometres of land have burned.