DUBLIN,Ireland Aug 14-Southern Europe’s battle with relentless wildfires intensified this week, with Spain recording its third death and Greece making progress in containing a blaze that had threatened its third-largest city, Patras, amid a searing heatwave.
Spanish authorities confirmed on Thursday that a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter had died from severe burns sustained while tackling flames in the northwestern Castile and Leon region. His death follows two others reported earlier this week — one also in Castile and Leon, the other near Madrid.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences in a post on social media, warning that the wildfire situation “remains serious” and urging people to take “extra precautions.”
Spain has been among the hardest-hit nations in the region, with blazes devouring more than 157,000 hectares (388,000 acres) so far this year — more than triple the area burned in the same period of 2024. Thousands have been forced from their homes this week, particularly in Castile and Leon.
Authorities have arrested four people suspected of starting forest fires in Spain in recent days, bringing the total number of suspected arsonists this season to 30.
The crisis has prompted France to send two water-bombing aircraft, while Spain has appealed to the European Union for further aerial firefighting support to reinforce stretched crews.
Greece Containment Efforts
In Greece, firefighters reported progress in halting the advance of flames near Patras, where calmer winds on Thursday aided operations. “Some 600 ground crews and nearly 30 water-bombing aircraft were deployed from dawn in all locations,” said government spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis.
However, major outbreaks continued to strain emergency services on the tourist island of Zante, the Aegean island of Chios, and near the western town of Preveza.
According to the National Observatory of Athens, citing EU Copernicus satellite data, the Patras blaze and other Greek fires have burned more than 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) in recent days.
Police in Greece said three men aged 19 to 27 had been detained on suspicion of starting some of the fires around Patras earlier in the week.
The fires come amid an intense heatwave that began last week and has swept across Southern Europe, including Portugal and parts of the Balkans. Scientists say such extreme summer heat is becoming longer and more intense due to human-driven climate change, creating conditions for more frequent and destructive wildfires.
