By Euronews
Published on
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Thousands have been displaced after record temperatures sparked wildfires across southern Europe and triggered an unprecedented level of assistance from the European Commission.
Greece, Spain and Portugal have ordered mass evacuations after fires threatened to scorch towns and villages across all three countries.
In the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and farms from flames that tore through pine forests and olive groves.
“Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country,” fire fervice spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said.
At least 15 firefighters have been hospitalised or received medical attention for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion, he added.
Local media reported that two young men were arrested for arson late Wednesday evening on charges of setting the fire that first broke out on Tuesday in the Syhena district of Patras.
The flames, fuelled by strong winds, have damaged an unknown number of homes, businesses and two monasteries.
Firefighting resources in multiple countries have been stretched thin as they battle simultaneous fire outbreaks in scorching temperatures.
Aircraft forces in Greece rotated between blazes on the western mainland, the Patras area and the island of Zakynthos.
Athens has also sent reinforcements to neighbouring Albania, which is struggling to contain dozens of wildfires. An elderly man has died in one fire south of Tirana, officials said on Wednesday.
Spain reports catastrophic wildfire season
In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences after the death of a volunteer firefighter in the Castile and León region north of the capital, Madrid, where more than 8,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate from at least thirty towns.
Authorities said that fires in León have burned through around 38,000 hectares of land. They confirmed the death of a 37-year-old man and at least 12 injuries between the municipalities of Zamora and León.
“The wildfire situation remains serious, and taking extra precautions is essential,” Sánchez wrote in an online post.
Evacuation centres in central Spain were filled to capacity, with some spending the night outdoors on folding beds. The most severe fires in the country pushed northward into rural areas.
Officials in Valencia declared a level two emergency after a fire reportedly triggered by a bout of lightening forced the preventative evacuation of several districts, whilst in seven fires remain active in the north-western city of Ourense.
Thousands of firefighters deployed in Portugal
In Portugal, authorities have deployed thousands of firefighting crews to combat fires that have been ongoing for several weeks.
Wildfires are particularly intense in the town of Arganil, where more than 900 firefighters combat a “very unfavourable” situation, authorities said on Thursday. At least three other fires are burning in Sátão and Cinfães, Cinfães and Trancoso.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said weather conditions looked “particularly worrying” and could lead to the “worsening” of the flames.
Despite ongoing fires that have led to a record amount of burned land compared to last year, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said he has not yet activated international aid mechanisms, but did not rule out doing so in the future.
“When necessary, when circumstances motivate it, we will do it. This obeys criteria that are of a technical and operational nature, which will have to be met,” Montenegro told CNN Portugal.
The European Union has rushed aid to countries hit hard by the fires, including non-member states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that much efforts were focused on Montenegro where fires burned near the capital of Podgorica.
In a post on X, von der Leyen wrote: “We’re mobilising support for Greece following their request for assistance. And prepositioned firefighters are already helping in Spain.”
“This is European solidarity in action,” she added.
