Thousands fight Greece fires

(MENAFN) Greece struggled on Wednesday to contain over 20 wildfires, including one threatening Patras, the country’s third-largest city, as a heatwave worsened conditions and forced thousands to evacuate. High temperatures across Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans, and Britain this week have fueled fires, with scientists warning that climate change is making such extreme heat and wildfire events more intense.

In Greece, 4,850 firefighters and 33 planes were deployed on what officials described as a “very difficult day,” fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. A blaze near the ancient site of Voudeni, just seven kilometers from Patras, endangered homes and forested areas, shrouding the region in thick smoke. Strong winds complicated efforts, making it difficult for water-bombing aircraft to operate and collect water from the sea, according to Kostas Tsigkas, president of the firefighter officers’ union.

Approximately 20 villages in the western Achaia region of the Peloponnese were evacuated on Tuesday. Fires also burned on the islands of Zante and Chios, which had suffered a large wildfire in June. The coastguard evacuated around 80 people near Patras and Chios, while the national ambulance service reported 52 hospitalizations from Achaia, Chios, and Preveza, including firefighters, mostly for respiratory issues and minor burns. Temperatures in western Greece are forecast to approach 40°C in areas including the northwest Peloponnese.

Greece requested four water bombers from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, prompting criticism from the opposition party Syriza, which called for better fire preparedness, resource allocation, prevention strategies, coordination, and updated technologies.

Meanwhile, Spain continued to battle wildfires, with authorities in Castile and Leon evacuating nearly 6,000 residents from 26 localities. Prolonged high temperatures and dry undergrowth created “the worst possible breeding ground” for fires, according to civil protection head Irene Cortes, though cooler, more humid conditions are expected to aid containment.

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