LISBON, 6 July 2026 (TON): Firefighters continued battling major wildfires in Portugal and Greece as authorities stepped up efforts to contain the rapidly spreading blazes.
Portugal's Civil Protection Authority said more than 1,200 firefighters, supported by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft, were deployed to tackle a wildfire in the central Vouzela region that erupted on Thursday. According to the European Union's Copernicus satellite mapping agency, the fire had scorched around 12,000 hectares (120 square kilometres) by Sunday.
In Greece, a fast-moving fire broke out at a recycling plant on Saturday evening near the Oraiokastro suburb of Thessaloniki, prompting evacuation alerts for three nearby suburbs and a facility housing 157 people with special needs.
Fire Department spokesman Brig. Ioannis Artopios told ERT television on Sunday that about 85 percent of wildfires in Greece were caused by negligence, including sparks from agricultural machinery, discarded cigarettes, and the use of outdoor barbecues and " Most of these fires could have been avoided,".