PATRAS, Greece,/MADRID: Wildfires intensified across southern Europe, with extreme heat, strong winds, and suspected arson driving blazes that have destroyed homes, disrupted transport, and forced thousands of residents and tourists to flee.

Nearly 440,000 hectares have burned in the eurozone so far in 2025, twice the average for this time of year since 2006, according to the EU Science Hub's Joint Research Centre.

In Greece, flames swept through olive groves, forests, and industrial areas near the city of Patras, igniting a cement factory and halting rail traffic. Authorities evacuated a nearby town of 7,700 residents on August 12 and issued fresh evacuation orders for two nearby villages the next day. Fires also prompted evacuations on the tourist islands of Chios and Cephalonia.

"What does it look like? It looks like doomsday," said volunteer Giorgos Karvanis, who traveled from Athens to help in Patras.

Spain reported its sixth wildfire-related death this year after a volunteer firefighter was trapped while creating firebreaks near Nogarejas in Castile and Leon. Several others were hospitalized as the national weather agency AEMET warned that almost the entire country faced extreme fire risk.

Authorities across the region are warning that unprepared landscapes are making firefighting even more dangerous. Alexander Held of the European Forest Institute said investment in preventative measures like buffer zones and vegetation clearing could save billions in future firefighting and restoration costs.

Spanish Environment Minister Sara Aagesen said many fires appeared to be deliberately set. Recent arrests include a firefighter in Avila and a woman in Galicia's Muxia area. Police are also investigating a suspect with burns who is believed to have started a blaze in Cadiz.

Not all fires are man-made. Lightning strikes sparked blazes in Spain's Huelva province and in Trancoso, Portugal, where flames reignited previously contained areas. Both incidents prompted evacuations.

In Albania, Defence Minister Pirro Vengu described the week as "critical" as 24 major wildfires burned nationwide. Flames reached two central villages, forcing residents to flee with their livestock. "We are going in the middle of two rivers because the fire has arrived… it is like gunpowder," said evacuee Hajri Dragoti.

Spain is now in its 10th day of a heatwave, with temperatures peaking at 45 degrees Centigrade (113 degrees Fahrenheit) and expected to continue until August 18, one of the longest on record. In Italy, the health ministry issued extreme heat warnings for 16 cities, with Florence forecast to hit 39 degrees Centigrade (102 degrees Fahrenheit). Pope Leo moved his weekly audience indoors at the Vatican to escape the intense sun.