Wildfires raging across southern Europe have killed at least three people and forced thousands from their homes, as exhausted firefighters battle to contain multiple blazes in Greece, Spain, Turkiye, Albania and other countries.
In Greece’s third-largest city, Patras, crews worked around the clock to defend residential areas and farmland, while flames tore through pine forests, olive groves and dozens of vehicles in an impound lot.
Outside Patras, towering flames rose behind apartment blocks as water-dropping planes and helicopters circled overhead. Residents joined the fight, dousing flames with buckets of water and beating them back with cut branches. Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said the situation remained very difficult, with extreme fire risk persisting across much of the country. At least 15 firefighters were treated for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion.
Aircraft were also deployed to the Greek island of Chios, the western mainland and Zakynthos. In neighbouring Albania, Athens sent assistance to battle dozens of fires. An 80-year-old man died in one blaze south of Tirana, where residents in four villages were evacuated, including an area near a former army ammunition depot. In the southern Korca district, explosions were reported from buried World War II-era shells, and dozens of homes were destroyed.
In Spain’s Castile and León region, north of Madrid, a firefighting volunteer died while battling flames that have displaced thousands. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged extra caution and thanked emergency crews. Evacuation centres in central Spain reached capacity, with many forced to sleep outdoors. Fires also disrupted high-speed rail services between Madrid and Galicia.
In Turkey’s southern region, a forestry worker was killed in an accident involving a fire truck, leaving four others injured. The country has been fighting severe wildfires since late June, with 18 deaths recorded so far, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry staff in July. France, still recovering from massive blazes earlier this summer, faced its third consecutive day of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 42°C.
Authorities across the region have cited multiple possible causes for the fires, including farming mishaps, poorly maintained power lines, lightning storms and suspected arson. In North Macedonia, rogue property developers are believed to be behind a blaze at a nature reserve near Skopje. The European Union has mobilised aid for both member and non-member states, sending ground crews and water-dropping aircraft. Much of the assistance is focused on Montenegro, where wildfires continue to burn in rugged areas near Podgorica.
“Natural disasters know no borders,” said Ljuban Tmusic, head of Montenegro’s civil protection agency, warning that the country’s resources were “clearly not enough” to cope with the crisis. He stressed that EU assistance was vital to support exhausted local teams facing another night of relentless flames.