Overview

• More than 20 major wildfires remain active across southern Europe, with crews reporting pockets of receding flames around Patras but significant blazes persisting in Spain’s Castile and León and central Portugal.
• Emergency officials have confirmed at least three wildfire-related deaths this week, including a third fatality in Spain’s Castile and León region and single fatalities in Turkey and Albania.
• Authorities have evacuated thousands of residents from frontline areas such as Patras, Castile and León and villages near Albania’s Korca district, straining shelters and disrupting rail services.
• The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has deployed rotating water-bombing aircraft and ground crews from France, Italy and other member states to bolster overstretched national fire brigades.
• Fire service spokespeople warn that record temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds driven by a persistent heatwave will keep conditions volatile, complicating containment efforts.