Greece struggled on Wednesday to contain over 20 wildfires, including one threatening Patras, the country’s third-largest city, as a heatwave worsene

PATRAS, Greece (Reuters) -Firefighters battled multiple wildfires across Greece on Wednesday, including blazes threatening villages and towns near the western city of Patras and on two tourist islands.

Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires. Calmer winds on Thursday have helped slow the blazes.

Greece has seen a slight improvement in its wildfire situation, but officials on Thursday were not declaring the danger over. Firefighters, volunteers and local residents continue to battle numerous blazes across the country.

A massive wildfire in Achaia near Patras, western Greece, spread to nearby homes and villages, fueled by strong winds in the area.

The fire around Dadia was still burning on Wednesday, for a 12th consecutive day. A record 198,000 acres have burned in the broader Evros region since the blazes began on Aug. 19. Greece is at the ...

Original article source: New Greece wildfires spark just days after deadly weekend blaze amid prolonged drought Tropical Storm Erin formed in the Atlantic Monday morning, Aug. 11. Erin could become a hurricane by Aug. 13.

In the current fire season in Greece, over 310 individuals have been arrested on suspicion of starting wildfires. Notably, the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE) has made fifty arrests so far this year, a sharp increase from fewer than ten in the previous years.

Greek Red Cross volunteers rescued families trapped in the sea after they waded into deep water to escape wildfires this week. The blaze broke out at noon in Vrachnaiika, western Greece, on Tuesday and raged on until late on Wednesday. Footage shows the rescuers approaching the shore in a lifeboat in the dark while flames rage in the background.