Southern Europe Battles Intense Wildfires Amid Lower Winds

Athens, Aug 14 (AP) Firefighting teams across Greece, Spain, and Portugal were in a race against time on Thursday to contain wildfires, capitalizing on reduced wind speeds that have temporarily slowed the fires' progression. Nonetheless, much of southern Europe continues to face significant threats due to persistent hot and dry weather conditions.

With the decrease in wind speeds, firefighting aircraft in these heavily impacted countries have been able to intensify water-dropping operations, focusing their efforts on established fire zones rather than pursuing rapidly advancing fronts. Authorities caution that the extreme heat is expected to continue.

In Spain, authorities reported the tragic death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who succumbed to severe burns sustained in a region north of Madrid earlier this week. This marks the third fatality attributed to the recent fires in Spain. Thousands of evacuees from the area remain unable to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, in Greece, the Fire Service has successfully contained a significant fire near the southern port city of Patras, reaching the outskirts of urban areas following a large-scale deployment. Authorities have detained three individuals in connection to the blaze, which is suspected to have been set intentionally.

The European Union's civil protection agency disclosed that it has responded to requests for assistance from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania this week, deploying firefighting planes and helicopters from various member states.

According to the agency, there have been 16 activations for assistance amid this summer's wildfire season, as European nations contend with "a high number of catastrophic wildfires." Notably, the number of activations in 2025 already equals the total for wildfire-related activations during the entire 2024 season. (AP)

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