Greece battles raging wildfires as flames appear to ease in France

What the report says

Wildfires continued to disrupt parts of southern Europe on Saturday as Greece faced fresh blazes while fire activity appeared to ease in France and parts of Spain. In Greece, strong winds drove flames through the area west of Athens, including near Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, where hundreds of firefighters, aircraft and helicopters were deployed to protect homes and nearby communities. Authorities evacuated about 300 people by sea from the fire zone and issued further alerts and evacuation orders for several areas, according to the reporting cited by Al Jazeera.

The Greek fire began on Friday near Agios Vasileios, and local reports said it split into multiple fronts. Emergency officials warned of very high wildfire risk in Attica and Evia. A wildfire meteorologist quoted by The Associated Press estimated the affected area at roughly 39 to 50 square kilometers, though no official burned-area figure had been released.

In France, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the country’s major fires were under control, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the situation had stabilized in Gironde and that containment efforts were holding in the southeastern Var department. Officials said firefighters there had prevented further spread overnight. Portugal’s large fire was also reported under control, and Spain’s biggest fires were no longer advancing steadily, although some hotspots, including in Leon, remained active.

The wider context is a severe wildfire season across Europe, which scientists say is being intensified by hotter, drier conditions linked to climate change. Al Jazeera reported that Europe is warming faster than the global average, helping fires spread more quickly and burn more intensely.