Portugal battles huge wildfire as Greece chokes on toxic smoke

Athens,UPDATED: Jul 5, 2026 19:26 IST

Hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires in Portugal and Greece on Sunday, as Spain and Italy sent reinforcements to help Portugal tackle a massive blaze that has been burning for more than three days. In Greece, authorities urged residents in parts of Thessaloniki to stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut because of toxic smoke from a recycling plant fire on the city’s outskirts.

The fires stretched emergency services in both countries. In central Portugal, the wildfire had burned 12,000 hectares by Sunday, while in northern Greece the blaze near Thessaloniki triggered evacuation alerts, damaged homes and businesses, and led to an arrest on suspicion of negligence.

In Portugal’s Vouzela area, more than 1,200 firefighters, backed by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft, were trying to put out the blaze that broke out on Thursday, according to the country’s Civil Protection authority. The European Union’s Copernicus satellite mapping agency said the fire had spread across 12,000 hectares, or 120 square kilometres, by Sunday. The EU’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department said Spain had sent 120 firefighters and 45 vehicles to Portugal on Friday, while three firefighting aircraft from Italy and Spain were also dispatched.

In Greece, the fast-moving fire broke out on Saturday evening at a recycling plant near the Oraiokastro suburb of Thessaloniki. The blaze prompted evacuation alerts for three suburbs and for a facility housing 157 people with special needs. The fire department said strong winds fanned the flames, and around 160 firefighters worked through the night until water-dropping aircraft were able to take off at dawn.

Oraiokastro mayor Pandelis Tsakiris told state broadcaster ERT that several businesses and homes had been damaged, but said a clearer picture would emerge after a full assessment by the authorities. The fire department said a 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze through negligence after sparks from his vehicle set roadside vegetation on fire. He was due to appear before a prosecutor on Sunday. The fire came days after another wildfire in a nearby area killed a 12-year-old boy and his father.

Fire department spokesman Brig. Ioannis Artopoios told ERT television on Sunday that about 85 per cent of wildfires in Greece were caused by negligence, including sparks from agricultural machinery, discarded cigarettes and outdoor barbecues. "This means most of them could have been avoided," he said. Greece regularly faces destructive wildfires during its hot, dry summers. In 2018, a fire east of Athens killed more than 100 people, while a huge blaze in 2023 in a remote nature reserve in northeastern Greece was the largest wildfire recorded in the European Union. Greece has increasingly turned to technology to tackle the threat of fires, integrating four satellites launched into low orbit in May to monitor wildfires.

So far this summer, Greece has avoided the heatwaves that have scorched much of western Europe in recent weeks, but it has still seen dozens of fires on the mainland and islands. By Sunday, both Portugal and Greece were continuing efforts to contain major blazes, with Portugal receiving help from European partners and Greece dealing with toxic smoke, damage and fresh concerns over fires caused by negligence.

With PTI Inputs

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