Wildfires intensified across southern Europe on Wednesday, killing at least three people and forcing thousands to evacuate homes in Greece, Spain, Turkey and Albania. In Greece, firefighters worked through the night to protect the port city of Patras, the country’s third-largest city. Flames swept through pine forests and olive groves, burning houses, agricultural sites and dozens of vehicles. The fire service said the risk of more fires remained “very high” in several regions. At least 15 firefighters were injured or treated for burns, smoke inhalation and exhaustion. Residents joined the firefighting effort, using buckets of water and tree branches to beat down flames. Aircraft dropped water over the affected areas. Weeks of heatwaves have stretched firefighting resources across Greece and its neighbours. On the Greek island of Chios, exhausted firefighters were seen sleeping on the roadside after overnight shifts. In Albania, an 80-year-old man died in a fire south of Tirana. Villages in central Albania were evacuated, and explosions were reported in the Korca district due to buried World War II-era shells. Dozens of homes were destroyed.

In Spain, a firefighting volunteer died in the Castile and Leon region, where thousands have been displaced. Some evacuees spent the night outdoors. Fires disrupted high-speed rail services between Madrid and Galicia. In Turkey, a forestry worker was killed and four others were injured when a fire truck crashed while responding to a blaze. Turkey has been battling wildfires since late June, with 18 deaths reported so far. France which is recovering from massive recent fires in the southern regions, faced another day of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 42°C. Authorities restricted public events in high-risk areas. Officials across the region cited lightning storms, farming activities, faulty power lines and arson as possible causes. The European Union has sent ground teams and aircraft to help, including in Montenegro, where large fires continue to burn near the capital, Podgorica.