Firefighters across Spain, Portugal, and Greece faced intense challenges on Friday, a public holiday, as they battled multiple wildfires amid a prolonged heatwave expected to persist through Monday. With temperatures exceeding 40°C in recent days, Spain’s national weather agency AEMET warned of extreme fire risk, particularly in the north and west, where 14 major blazes have consumed 158,000 hectares—an area comparable to metropolitan London—according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

In Spain, fires in Galicia forced highway closures and suspended the high-speed rail line to Madrid. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, posting on X, described the situation as “very tough” with a high risk of new fires. In Portugal, nearly 4,000 firefighters tackled seven major fires, prompting authorities to extend a state of alert through Sunday. In Greece, a wildfire on Chios island raged for a fourth day, triggering overnight evacuations, though a lull in winds aided efforts by water-dropping planes and helicopters. High fire risks also persisted near Athens and southern Greece.

The Feast of the Assumption in Spain and Portugal, and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Greece, saw communities grappling with the crisis. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, during prayers in Turkey, expressed solidarity with wildfire victims. As the heatwave continues, authorities remain on high alert, underscoring the severe environmental and societal impact of these fires across Southern Europe.

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