Euronews: Mass Evacuations in Southern Europe Amid Escalating Wildfires

Thousands of Europeans have been displaced as record-breaking heatwaves fueled devastating wildfires across southern Europe, prompting the European Commission to deliver an unprecedented level of emergency aid.

According to Euronews, the Commission revealed that requests for wildfire assistance this week alone have already matched the total number recorded throughout 2024.

Mass evacuations were ordered in Greece, Spain, and Portugal as fast-moving blazes threatened towns and villages. In the coastal city of Patras, Greek firefighters battled flames tearing through pine forests and olive groves, struggling to save homes and farmland. Fire Department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said the fire risk remains “extremely high” nationwide, adding that at least 15 firefighters have been hospitalized with burns, smoke inhalation, or exhaustion.

Wind-driven fires have already destroyed homes and businesses, while firefighting aircraft raced between blazes on the western mainland, Patras, and the island of Zakynthos. Resources across southern Europe remain under severe pressure, with Athens even dispatching reinforcements to neighboring Albania, where dozens of wildfires rage. Officials there confirmed the death of an elderly man south of Tirana.

Spain has declared this wildfire season catastrophic. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences after a volunteer firefighter was killed in Castilla y León, north of Madrid, where more than 8,000 residents from 30 towns were ordered to evacuate. Authorities reported that flames scorched some 38,000 hectares between Zamora and León, leaving one person dead and at least 12 injured.

Sánchez warned on social media that the wildfire situation remains “critical” and urged extra caution. Evacuation shelters across central Spain have reached capacity, forcing some families to sleep outside. Fires also advanced north into rural areas, while Valencia declared a Level 2 emergency after a lightning strike ignited new blazes. Meanwhile, seven fires continue to burn in Ourense, northwestern Spain.

In Portugal, thousands of firefighters remain on the frontlines after weeks of relentless flames. The town of Arganil is among the worst-hit, where more than 900 firefighters are battling the spread, alongside other major blazes in Sátão, Sernancelhe, and Trancoso. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa warned that worsening weather conditions could further intensify the crisis.

Despite record losses of forested land compared to last year, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has so far held back from activating international aid mechanisms, though he admitted the option remains on the table.

The European Union has already begun mobilizing support for the hardest-hit regions, including non-member states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed in a post on X: “We are rallying support for Greece following its request for assistance, while pre-positioned firefighters are already helping in Spain.”