Blistering heat and high winds drive massive wildfires from Greece to Spain, forcing evacuations and reigniting political tensions
Blistering heat and high winds drive massive wildfires from Greece to Spain, forcing evacuations and reigniting political tensions
A fast-moving wildfire is threatening the western Greek city of Patras, as soaring temperatures and powerful winds fuel blazes across southern Europe. The fire has forced widespread evacuations including a children’s hospital and blanketed the city in thick smoke, prompting respiratory-related hospitalizations.
Over 10,000 hectares have burned in Greece’s Achaia region in just two days, with entire villages emptied, homes destroyed, and more than 500 cars incinerated at a local customs yard. Streets in Patras, home to around 200,000 residents, stood eerily empty Wednesday as fire advanced from the surrounding mountains under 38°C heat.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of a nearby town of 7,700 people on Tuesday and issued further alerts for two more villages on Wednesday. On the islands of Zante and Chios, dozens were rescued by coastguards as fires crept dangerously close to the coast.
Greece has requested EU water bombers to support the 4,800 firefighters already battling more than 20 active wildfiresnationwide. The crisis comes amid a region-wide heatwave that’s sparked flames across countries from Portugal to the Balkans.
In Spain, a civilian and a volunteer firefighter died on Wednesday, as the country marked its tenth straight day of extreme heat, which hit 45°C on Tuesday. Nearly all of Spain is now under extreme or very high fire risk, according to national meteorologists, with the heatwave expected to last through Monday one of the longest on record.
The Spanish wildfires have ignited a political controversy after Transport Minister Óscar Puente made a sarcastic comment about conditions “getting a little hot” in Castile and León, where fires have endangered a UNESCO-listed Roman site and displaced more than 6,000 people. Opposition leaders demanded his resignation, while Puente defended his criticism of regional leadership absent during a national crisis.
So far in 2025, 199 wildfires in Spain have scorched 99,000 hectares, double last year’s figure by mid-August. Authorities suspect arson in several cases. Portugal deployed 1,800 firefighters to combat five major blazes, including one reignited by lightning in Trancoso, In Albania, 24 active wildfires have forced rural evacuations, with the defense minister warning of a “critical week.” Italy has largely contained a five-day fire near Mount Vesuvius, but remains under extreme heat alerts in 16 cities, with Florence hitting 39°C, Pope Leo moved his weekly audience indoors due to heat in Vatican City, The UK entered its fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures nearing 34°C, prompting warnings of strain on health services.
Meteorologists and climate experts continue to warn that such extreme weather patterns are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-induced climate change, raising urgent questions about preparedness and global action.
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