Wildfires rage across Portugal, Greece & Spain as Firefighters intensify efforts

By  News On Air   Jul 06, 2026

Hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires in Portugal, Greece and Spain last night, with Spain and Italy sending reinforcements to Portugal to help with a massive blaze burning for more than three days. Authorities urged residents in parts of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, to remain indoors and shut their windows and doors due to toxic smoke from a burning recycling plant that was engulfed by a wildfire.

Another major wildfire broke out yesterday afternoon west of the Greek capital, Athens. The fire department said 155 firefighters, backed up by volunteers, specialised teams, 16 water-dropping planes and six helicopters were deployed to battle the blaze burning through the pine forest in the Mandra area.

In central Portugal’s Vouzela area, more than 1,200 firefighters, backed up by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft tried to put out a blaze that broke out on Thursday, according to the Civil Protection authority. The wildfire had burned across an area of 12,000 hectares by yesterday, information from the European Union’s Copernicus satellite mapping agency showed. The EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid said that Spain sent 120 firefighters and 45 vehicles as reinforcements to Portugal on Friday, while three firefighting aircraft from Italy and Spain were also dispatched to help.

In Spain, a wildfire burning since Friday in the northeastern Girona region had burned nearly 2,200 hectares (5,400 acres). According to a local news agency, Catalan Fire Service head of operations Eduard Martinez said the blaze had a perimeter of 40 kilometres (25 miles) and firefighters may not be able to bring it under control yesterday.