Firefighters battle blazes in Türkiye, Greece and Albania

Firefighters across the Mediterranean struggled on Monday to contain wildfires blazing through Türkiye, Greece, and Albania, as strong winds and extreme heat intensified the crisis.

In Türkiye’s Black Sea province of Karabük, smoke filled the skies as a wildfire burned for a sixth consecutive day, destroying forested areas and prompting the evacuation of more than a dozen villages. Meanwhile, in Bursa, three firefighters died when their vehicle crashed, the Forestry Ministry confirmed. Additional fires were being fought in the southern provinces of Mersin and Antalya, where over 3,600 residents were evacuated.

Türkiye has faced a surge in wildfires amid soaring temperatures in recent weeks, with 10 firefighters killed last week during a fire in the central province of Eskişehir.

While hot, dry summers are typical in the Mediterranean, recent years have seen more severe heatwaves, fuelling larger and more destructive fires amid global climate change.

In Greece, at least 44 wildfires ignited in the past 24 hours. Strong winds reignited fires on the island of Kythera, while a blaze near Mount Hymettus in Athens was swiftly brought under control by emergency crews.

In Albania, around 900 firefighters and army personnel worked to contain a wildfire threatening the coastal city of Saranda and surrounding tourist areas on the Ionian coast. Police reported that 13 individuals were arrested for arson over the past three days.

Bulgaria, with assistance from several European nations, deployed firefighting aircraft to combat a major wildfire near the border with Türkiye. Authorities said roughly 16,000 acres had been destroyed, and two suspects were detained during the investigation.

In Greece, several villages were evacuated over the weekend, with five people injured in separate incidents. Meanwhile, Serbia saw relief as rainfall helped extinguish more than 100 wildfires across the country.

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