Gale-force winds of up to 130 km/h fanned 51 new wildfires across Greece in a single 24-hour period on Friday, forcing hundreds of evacuations by sea near Athens and devastating coastal holiday areas. More than 300 firefighters battled a blaze at Porto Germeno, 70 km west of the capital, where flames reached the coastline and destroyed homes. Civil protection authorities placed greater Athens on the highest red alert for Saturday. Three firefighters were killed on Crete, where a 15-km fire front prompted the evacuation of an estimated 2,000 tourists.
In neighbouring Turkey, authorities said most of 218 recent blazes were under control, though Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli noted active fronts in Aydin and Balikesir provinces. In France, a reignited fire in the Var department scorched 1,000 hectares in six hours, prompting 2,500 evacuations, while near Bordeaux authorities lifted evacuation orders after 42,000 hectares burned. In Spain, major fires near Madrid and Avila were stabilised, but a new outbreak hit Leon province overnight.