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Greece battles flames near Patras
Wildfires rage across Europe for a second week, with Greece’s third-largest city under threat. Firefighters fought through the night outside Patras, trying to save homes and farmland. Flames ripped through pine forests and olive groves. In some neighborhoods, walls of fire rose behind apartment blocks.
Dozens of vehicles burned in a nearby impound lot. “Today is another difficult day,” said Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis. Residents joined firefighters, using buckets and branches to beat back the blaze.
Resources stretched thin across the region
Fire crews struggled with multiple outbreaks after weeks of extreme heat. On the island of Chios, exhausted Greek firefighters slept roadside after a night shift. Aircraft rotated between fires in western Greece, Patras, and Zakynthos. Athens sent help to Albania, where an 80-year-old man died south of Tirana. Explosions from old World War II shells rattled the southern Korca district. Dozens of homes were destroyed in central Albania.
Spain and Turkey report more deaths
In Spain, a firefighting volunteer died in Castile and León. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged extra caution and thanked emergency crews. Evacuation centers filled up, with some people sleeping outside. Fires spread into rural areas, forcing residents to hose their homes. Turkey mourned a forestry worker killed when a fire truck crashed, injuring four others. The country has lost 18 people to wildfires since late June, including 10 volunteers in July.
France and Montenegro remain on high alert
France braced for a third day of 42°C heat. Officials warned of extreme fire danger and gave local leaders power to cancel events. Montenegro continued to battle blazes in rugged terrain near Podgorica. “Our resources are not enough,” said civil protection chief Ljuban Tmusic.
Causes under investigation
Authorities cited farming accidents, faulty power cables, lightning, and arson. In North Macedonia, police suspect rogue developers started a fire at a nature reserve near Skopje. The European Union sent planes, crews, and aid to fire-hit nations, reinforcing that Wildfires Rage Across Europe and demand coordinated action beyond borders.
