MADRID (BN24)— Thousands have been forced from their homes as deadly wildfires rage across southern Europe during a record-breaking heatwave, with firefighters battling relentless blazes in Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Greece.
In Spain, crews worked overnight to contain a fire near Madrid that claimed the life of a man in Tres Cantos, who died in hospital after suffering burns to 98% of his body. Fires were also reported in Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia and Galicia. The interior ministry declared a “pre-emergency,” placing national services on standby, while nearly 1,000 armed forces members joined firefighting efforts. Forecasters warned temperatures could climb to 44°C (112.2°F) in some areas.
In Portugal, more than 700 firefighters were deployed to control a blaze in Trancoso, roughly 217 miles northeast of Lisbon, while smaller fires burned further north. Vila Real mayor Alexandre Favaios, where a fire has been burning for 10 days, said, “We are being cooked alive, this cannot continue.”
Turkey faced multiple wildfires on Tuesday, including one in the northwestern province of Canakkale that forced hundreds to evacuate, temporarily shut Canakkale Airport and closed the Dardanelles Strait to shipping.
In Greece, several villages and a hotel were evacuated on the Ionian Sea islands of Zakynthos and Cephalonia, as well as four other mainland areas. “Winds are strong and the wildfire is out of control,” Zakynthos mayor Yiorgos Stasinopoulos told Greek public broadcaster ERT.
Credit: Sky News
