Portugal Wildfire Burns 12,000 Hectares; Greek Fires Prompt Evacuations

More than 1,200 firefighters supported by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft worked Sunday to contain a wildfire in central Portugal’s Vouzela area that began on Thursday. The fire had burned across 12,000 hectares by Sunday, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus satellite mapping agency. Spain dispatched 120 firefighters and 45 vehicles to Portugal on Friday.

Three firefighting aircraft from Italy and Spain were also sent to assist, the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid said. In Greece a wildfire that began Saturday evening at a recycling plant near the Oraiokastro suburb of Thessaloniki triggered evacuation alerts for three suburbs and a facility housing 157 people with special needs.

Around 160 firefighters worked through the night until water-dropping aircraft could operate at dawn.

The mayor of Oraiokastro said several businesses and homes were damaged. A 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting the Oraiokastro fire through negligence after sparks from his vehicle ignited roadside vegetation. He was scheduled to appear before a prosecutor on Sunday.

A fire department spokesperson said about 85 percent of wildfires in Greece result from negligence, including sparks from agricultural machinery, discarded cigarettes, and outdoor barbecues. "This means most of them could have been avoided," the spokesperson said. Greece launched four low-orbit satellites in May to improve early detection of wildfires.

AP News reported a separate wildfire broke out Sunday afternoon in the Mandra area west of Athens and that a wildfire burning since Friday in Spain's northeastern Girona region had burned nearly 2,200 hectares by Sunday.