Southern Europe battles raging wildfires as heatwave intensifies

Southern Europe is grappling with dozens of wildfires as a relentless heatwave fuels dangerous conditions across the region, prompting mass evacuations and straining emergency services.

Greece

In Greece, firefighters supported by the army are battling at least a dozen major blazes, including one threatening Patras, the country’s third-largest city. “The situation remains difficult,” said fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, citing soaring temperatures, strong winds, and low humidity.

Fires on the Ionian islands of Zante and Cephalonia, and the Aegean island of Chios, have added to the crisis. In Patras, evacuations included 12 children from a hospital and 80 elderly residents from a retirement home. A 17th-century monastery caught fire, while roughly 20 villages in western Achaia were cleared.

At least 71 people have needed medical attention, mostly in Patras and Preveza. Greece has requested additional firefighting planes from the EU, as criticism mounts over the government’s preparedness. The opposition PASOK party pointed to “poor coordination” and inadequate prevention efforts.

Spain

Wildfires have also spread rapidly across Spain, particularly in Castile and Leon, threatening a Roman heritage mining site. Nearly 6,000 residents from 26 towns were evacuated, and seven people were hospitalized for burns, four of them critically injured.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed Spain has requested EU assistance, including water bombers, warning that worsening weather could escalate the crisis. Spain has already recorded 199 wildfires this year, burning nearly 99,000 hectares—more than double last year’s total for the same period.

Portugal

More than 2,100 firefighters in Portugal are tackling five major fires, the largest in Trancoso, ongoing since Saturday. High winds have hampered efforts and threatened nearby villages, prompting evacuations. In Arganil, elderly residents were removed from smoke-covered mountainous areas.

Balkans

In the Balkans, fires have stretched emergency services thin amid extreme heat and drought. In Albania, an 80-year-old man died after losing control of a fire he lit in his garden, injuring eight others and damaging nearby homes. Evacuations are underway in central and southern regions. Montenegro reported improved conditions, though the country is mourning a soldier who died in a water truck accident near Podgorica.

Britain

Even Britain, unaccustomed to such weather, is experiencing its fourth heatwave of the summer. A major wildfire broke out in North York Moors national park in northern England, covering nearly five square kilometres and declared a “major incident” by authorities.