Greece, Spain and Portugal race to contain wildfires as EU steps up cross-border help

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Fire crews in Greece, Spain and Portugal raced to contain wildfires on Thursday, taking advantage of calmer winds that slowed the blazes even as much of southern Europe remained at high risk under hot, dry conditions.

A drop in wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three hard-hit countries to step up water drops, concentrating on existing fire zones rather than chasing fast-moving fronts. Authorities warned that extreme temperatures are likely to persist.

Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in an area north of Madrid this week. It was the third reported death in Spain due to the recent fires. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes in the region and still can not return.

In Greece, the Fire Service said a major blaze outside the southern port city of Patras has been contained on the outskirts of urban areas after a large-scale deployment. Three people have been arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities said may have been deliberately set.

High winds in Greece shifted to different parts of the country on Thursday. Ioannis Kefalogiannis, the civil protection minister, said authorities were bracing for the likelihood of a new round of major fires.

“Under such conditions, even a single spark is enough to trigger an uncontrollable fire,” he told reporters. “This combination of weather and geographical factors leaves us no room for complacency.”

The European Union’s civil protection agency said it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania, sending firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states.

The agency said it had already activated assistance 16 times amid this summer’s wildfires as European countries have been hit by a “high number of catastrophic wildfires.”

The number of activations for 2025 already matches the total for wildfires during the entire 2024 fire season, it said.

In Albania, wildfires in central and southern parts of the country were contained after gutting more than 200 homes. Prime Minister Edi Rama promised that police would work “day and night” to apprehend suspected arsonists blamed by the government for causing some of the fires. Across the Mediterranean Sea, Morocco battled its largest wildfire of the year this week near Bab Taza, in the north of the country, which burned dense forest, fueled by strong winds and high temperatures. Authorities said water-dropping aircraft and more than 450 personnel successfully contained the blaze. A second wildfire near Tetouan, further north, was also brought under control. ___ Naishadham reported from Madrid. Associated Press writers Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania; Lorne Cook in Brussels; John Leicester in Paris and Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco, contributed to this report.