Greece Battles Wildfires as Patras Faces Encroaching Blazes

Greece faced a renewed onslaught of wildfires on Wednesday as more than 20 blazes burned across the country, including a surge toward Patras, Greece’s third-largest city, during a heatwave that has amplified fire danger across southern Europe. Authorities mobilized nearly 4,900 firefighters and more than 30 aircraft to confront the blazes, while thousands of residents were evacuated from homes and villages in the western Peloponnese and surrounding areas as flames closed in on communities and forested zones. Temperatures near Patras approached 40C, and conditions remained volatile as winds hampered water-bombing operations and complicated water collection at sea.

In the Patras area, a fire advancing from surrounding mountains threatened an industrial zone and olive groves, with thick smoke visible over the urban perimeter. Fire service officials described the day as exceptionally challenging, noting that persistent winds would continue to test firefighters’ ability to contain the fires and protect civilian targets such as homes and critical infrastructure. Authorities ordered evacuations of at least several villages in the western Achaia region, and coastguard units helped move...