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Wildfires incited by arson, thunderstorms, and intensified by heatwaves and strong winds continue to devastate southern Europe. On Wednesday, these fires have destroyed homes, farms, factories, and have led to the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists. Near Greek city Patras, flames and thick smoke have engulfed a cement plant, which was ignited by a wildfire sweeping through olive groves and forests, disrupting train services on the city’s outskirts.
Giorgos Karvanis, a volunteer arriving from Athens to assist, described the scene as “doomsday,” pleading for divine help and aid for locals. Authorities instructed about 7,700 residents in a nearby town to evacuate on Tuesday, with additional alerts issued on Wednesday for surrounding villages. The fires also forced evacuations on Greek islands Chios and Cephalonia, both hotspots for tourism, as flames rapidly spread across the islands.
In Spain, the situation is equally dire. A volunteer firefighter succumbed to severe burns, and several others are hospitalized. The national weather agency, AEMET, issued warnings that nearly the entire country faces extreme or very high fire danger. The fallen firefighter, age 35, was attempting to establish firebreaks near Nogarejas in Castile and Leon when he was caught in the blaze. This marks the sixth wildfire-related death in Spain this year, with previous fatalities including firefighters in Tarragona and Ávila.
The risks are heightened by insufficient fire-prevention infrastructure. Alexander Held, from the European Forest Institute, emphasized that many fire sites are unprepared, lacking detectors, sprinkler systems, and safe escape routes, placing firefighters’ lives at significant risk. Regional leader Alfonso Rueda described Galicia’s firefighting efforts as “complicated,” with six active fires consuming 10,000 hectares in Ourense.
Many fires are suspected to be deliberately set. Spain’s Environment Minister, Sara Aagesen, mentioned that the intensity of several fires suggests arson. Authorities have detained a firefighter in Madrid’s vicinity for fires in Avila, and are investigating a woman suspected of igniting multiple fires in Galicia. Other investigations involve a suspect who allegedly sustained burns while igniting a small fire in Cadiz.
Thunderstorms have caused additional fires, including a lightning strike igniting a forest in Los Romeros, Andalucia, which prompted the evacuation of 250 residents but was largely contained by Wednesday. In Portugal’s Trancoso, lightning reignited a wildfire overnight that was previously thought controlled. Meanwhile, in Albania, Defense Minister Pirro Vengu described the ongoing wildfires as a “critical week,” with 10,000 firefighters, military personnel, and rescue teams battling 24 fires across the country. Villages have been evacuated as flames threaten homes, livestock, and farmland.
In Spain’s ongoing heatwave, temperatures hit as high as 113°F (45°C), lasting through Monday, setting a record-long heatwave, with the Pope relocating his weekly audience indoors due to extreme heat. Italy also issued heat warnings for 16 cities, expecting peak temperatures of 102°F (39°C).
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