In the last 12 hours, fire emergencies escalated across southern Europe, with Albania, Greece, and Turkey reporting dangerous flare-ups amid a historic heatwave and prolonged drought that continue to set the stage for fast-moving blazes.
Albanian authorities reported 37 forest fires nationwide over the past 24 hours, with 30 still burning. The fires have forced evacuations from several villages and left at least one person dead and eight injured. Large swaths of forest and farmland have been scorched as extreme heat and dry conditions drive flames through rugged terrain. Civil protection teams warned that gusty winds are hampering ground crews and complicating efforts by helicopters and aircraft to contain fire fronts before they threaten additional settlements.
Greece is confronting one of the most intense bursts of fire activity this season, with more than 100 wildfires active and 63 new blazes igniting in a single day. Thousands of people have been evacuated to shelters from villages, towns, and tourist zones, including entire hotel strips on the Ionian island of Zakynthos. Nearly 5,000 firefighters, supported by 33 firefighting aircraft, are battling flames on multiple fronts. Several firefighters have been injured, officials said, as fires consumed homes, farmland, and industrial sites.
Authorities named Achaia, Zakynthos, Kefalonia, Chios, and parts of western Greece near Patras among the hardest-hit regions. With resources stretched, Athens has requested additional water-bombing planes and other support through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Emergency services urged residents to follow evacuation orders promptly, noting that shifting winds can rapidly change fire behavior and cut off escape routes.
In Turkey, firefighters have contained mainly several major blazes, including a perilous fire in the northwestern province of Canakkale that prompted hundreds of evacuations. Yet the broader wildfire season remains destructive. Since late June, more than 1,900 firefighters have been deployed across multiple provinces as thousands of residents and tourists have been forced to flee, including hotel guests evacuated by sea from Bodrum. At least nine people, including firefighters, have died in Turkey’s wildfires this summer. Parts of the south have been declared disaster zones, and thousands of hectares—particularly Turkish pine forests—have been lost. Even where flames are contained, damage to homes and infrastructure continues to mount.
Meteorologists across the region warn that a combination of record-high temperatures, deepening drought, and persistent winds is priming landscapes for ignition and rapid spread. Those conditions have intensified through August, turning small spot fires into fast-running fronts that challenge even large air and ground responses.
Officials in all three countries said priority operations for the coming day include protecting populated areas, securing evacuation routes, and reinforcing containment lines ahead of the forecasted winds. Additional aircraft and crews are being repositioned to hotspots to suppress new ignitions before they grow.
This week’s surge underscores a devastating fire season for southern Europe in 2025, driven by record heat and parched vegetation. While cooler temperatures and calmer winds would offer a crucial window for containment, forecasters caution that fire risk will remain elevated, keeping communities on edge and response teams on high alert. Authorities urged residents and visitors to heed advisories, avoid fire-prone activities, and be ready to evacuate if ordered.
Photo: Efimerida ton Sintakton