Firefighters are battling against fast-spreading wildfires threatening the city of Patras, Greece, prompting evacuations as extreme weather conditions shroud the region. With temperatures soaring to 38C and ferocious winds aiding the flames, the area surrounding the third-largest city in Greece has witnessed nearly 10,000 hectares scorched in the last two days alone.
Evacuations included a children's hospital amidst increasing smoke visibility, as entire villages were displaced, homes and businesses reduced to ashes, and hundreds of vehicles lost, including over 500 in a customs yard. Residents watched in silence as fire approached from the nearby mountains, the streets eerily quiet except for those suffering breathing complications from the smoke.
Amid this chaos, authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation for a nearby population of 7,700 on Tuesday, only to issue fresh alerts for two additional villages soon after. Meanwhile, coastguard crews have been busy rescuing individuals from beaches threatened by encroaching fire on the islands of Zante and Chios. Greece has resorted to seeking European Union aid to procure water bombers to support its existing force of over 4,800 firefighters battling more than 20 active blazes nationwide.
Across southern Europe, the ongoing heatwave has fueled wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans. Spain reported the tragic deaths of a civilian and a volunteer firefighter as the extreme weather worsens, maintaining its relentless grip on the region for over ten days. Castile and León has been embroiled in political controversy following remarks made by transport minister Oscar Puente regarding leadership during the crisis, prompting a call for accountability among leaders on holiday while millions suffer from the heat.
Statistics indicate that this year alone, 199 wildfires have ravaged approximately 99,000 hectares across Greece, a figure that doubles last year's incidents by mid-August, with a rise in arson suspected.
In neighboring countries, Portugal's response involves 1,800 firefighters tackling five significant wildfires, including one spurred by lightning in Trancoso. Albania’s defense minister underscored the urgency of the crisis as they managed 24 simultaneous wildfires. Italy had managed to contain a fire raging on Mount Vesuvius but remains under heat warnings across 16 cities, while Britain braces for its fourth heatwave of the summer, peaking at 34C.
Experts indicate that such extreme weather conditions are intensifying in frequency due to climate change, indicating that the risk of wildfires is becoming an increasing threat to southern Europe.
