Athens: Firefighting teams in Greece, Spain, and Portugal worked to contain wildfires, taking advantage of calm winds that slowed the blazes, while much of southern Europe remained at high risk under hot and dry conditions. Lower wind speeds allowed firefighting aircraft in the three worst affected countries to intensify water drops, though authorities warned that extreme temperatures were likely to persist.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Spanish authorities reported the death of a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter who sustained severe burns in the northern Madrid region earlier this week. This was the third reported fatality in Spain from recent wildfires. Thousands of residents in the area have been evacuated and remain unable to return.
In Greece, the fire service stated that a major blaze outside the southern coastal city of Patras had been contained on the outskirts of urban areas. Three people were arrested in connection with the fire, which authorities suspect may have been deliberately set.
The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations mentioned it responded to requests for assistance this week from Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Albania, deploying firefighting planes and helicopters from other member states.