Wildfires raged across southern Europe on Wednesday after a nightlong battle to shield Greece’s third-largest city, with new fatalities reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania.

Near the Greek port city of Patras, flames swept through pine forests and olive groves, destroying homes, farmland and dozens of vehicles in an impound lot. Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis warned that fire risk remains “very high” in many parts of the country.

After weeks of heatwaves, firefighting resources were stretched thin. Crews battled multiple blazes across Greece’s mainland, the island of Zakynthos, and Chios, while Athens sent aid to Albania, where an 80-year-old man died in a blaze south of Tirana. Explosions from buried WWII-era shells were reported near the Greek border.

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In Spain’s Castile and León region, a volunteer firefighter died as thousands fled advancing flames. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged extra caution as emergency shelters filled. In southern Turkey, a forestry worker was killed and four others injured in a fire truck accident while tackling a blaze. Turkey has recorded 18 wildfire-related deaths since late June.

Authorities across the region cited lightning storms, careless farming, faulty power lines and suspected arson as causes. The EU has dispatched aid, with Montenegro among the latest to receive help as major fires burn near its capital, Podgorica.

Source: Agency