Firefighters in Portugal and Greece continued to battle large-scale wildfires on Sunday. Spain and Italy had sent additional forces to assist with extinguishing the fires in Portugal, the Associated Press reported.
In Portugal's central Viseu district, over 1,200 firefighters, supported by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft, are attempting to contain a fire that has been burning for over three days. According to the country's civil defense, by Sunday, the fire had spread to approximately 12,000 hectares. The European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) reported that Spain had sent 120 firefighters and 45 vehicles to Portugal, in addition to aircraft provided by Spain and Italy.
In Greece, in southern Europe, authorities urged residents in parts of Thessaloniki to stay indoors and keep windows closed due to toxic smoke from a fire that broke out at a waste processing plant in the Oreokastro suburb. The fire started on Saturday evening and spread rapidly due to strong winds. Approximately 160 firefighters were involved in the firefighting efforts, and aircraft began operations at dawn. Local authorities reported damage to homes and businesses.
Police arrested a 76-year-old man suspected of negligent arson; it is believed that sparks from his car may have ignited dry vegetation on the roadside. Earlier, in the same region, a fire claimed the lives of a 12-year-old child and their father.
