Fires are raging on several Greek islands. On Crete, authorities are warning of a number of small fires that risk spreading in strong winds on the island.
Three firefighters have died while fighting fires in Greece. Two firefighters died when their vehicle was surrounded by flames near the city of Rethymno on Crete, and one died on the Peloponnese peninsula.
Ten villages on the island of Paros have been evacuated and Lesbos, among others, is also affected by fires, AFP writes. There, 50 firefighters are battling a fire near the town of Plomari, and the smoke has forced several tourists to temporarily evacuate to other parts of the island.
Several places in Turkey are also on fire. According to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 3,000 firefighters are fighting around 90 fires, and AFP reports that smoke can be felt in the tourist city of Antalya.
“Critical hours”
In Spain, the evacuation order for several municipalities around Madrid was lifted late Tuesday evening, and on Wednesday afternoon, Spanish authorities announced that everyone who had been evacuated around Ávila was allowed to return home.
Despite strong winds and a new heat wave, the fires around the capital are stable, according to the fire department.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited a control center near the fires in Madrid on Wednesday morning, told reporters that “the next twelve hours will be decisive.”
The situation is developing in a positive direction, but with great caution, Sánchez said.
Meanwhile, the national weather agency AEMET warns that the heat wave prevailing in parts of the country will be long and continue into next week. The fire risk is "very high or extremely high," the agency writes on X .
Quiet night
In Gironde in southwestern France, the night has been calm, local authorities report.
"The night was calm, the fire is still stabilized this morning," writes the prefect of Gironde on X.
But there too, warnings are being issued for high temperatures, over 40 degrees in the region in the coming days.
In Provence, southern France, nearly 1,000 firefighters are battling a forest fire that has so far destroyed 4,500 hectares. According to local authorities, the fire is under control "but not over".
"The fact that the fire is under control does not mean that the work is over," local official Simon Babre told French radio.
