Firefighters in Spain, Portugal, and Greece continued battling wildfires Friday, a public holiday in all three countries, as hot, dry conditions hampered containment efforts.

Spain faced 14 major fires, with temperatures expected to rise over the weekend. “Today will once again be a very tough day, with an extreme risk of new fires,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X. The national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk across most of the country, including northern and western regions where the largest blazes were burning. Fires in Galicia forced the closure of several highways, and the high-speed rail link to Madrid remained suspended. So far this year, wildfires have burned 158,000 hectares (610 square miles) in Spain, roughly the size of metropolitan London.

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In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters were tackling seven major fires. Authorities extended the state of alert until Sunday amid continued high temperatures.

On the Greek island of Chios, a wildfire raged for a fourth day, prompting overnight evacuations. Two water-dropping planes and two helicopters aided firefighters as a brief lull in winds provided some relief. Authorities also remained on alert near Athens and southern regions following large fires earlier in the week.

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed solidarity with wildfire victims during prayers for the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, an important Orthodox holiday.

Source: Agency