Wildfires kill at least 3, displace thousands in Southern Europe

Wildfires intensified across Southern Europe on Wednesday, setting off a round-the-clock battle to protect the perimeter of Greece's thirdlargest city, with at least three deaths reported in Spain, Turkey and Albania.

- By DEREK GATOPOULOS AND LLAZAR SEMINI

ARIS MESSINIS AFP/Getty Images

A FIRE crew deployed near Patras, Greece, on Wednesday. Three people died in Spain, Turkey and Albania.

Outside the Greek port city of Patras, firefighters struggled to protect homes and agricultural facilities as flames tore through pine forests and olive groves. Tall columns of flames rose behind apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city, while dozens of vehicles were scorched as flames swept through a nearby impound lot.

“Today is another very difficult day with the level of fire risk remaining very high across many parts of the country,” Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis said. At least 15 firefighters were hospitalized or treated for burns, smoke inhalation or exhaustion, he added.

As water-dropping planes and helicopters swooped overhead, residents joined the effort, beating back flames with cut branches or dousing them with buckets of water.

Firefighting resources were stretched thin in many affected countries as they battled multiple outbreaks after weeks of heat waves and temperature spikes across the Mediterranean region. On the Greek island of Chios, exhausted firefighters slept on the roadside after a nightlong shift.