At least two killed as European wildfires threaten the evacuation of thousands

Wildfires across southern Europe continue to cause massive damage and threaten the evacuation of thousands as a heatwave scorches parts of the continent.

In Greece, firefighters are battling to control wildfires on the outskirts of the nation's third largest city, Patras.

Seven major wildfires forced multiple evacuations, destroying homes and businesses. The local civil protection service issued more than 20 mobile phone alerts due to the fire.

High winds hindered firefighting efforts on nearby islands, where authorities were on standby to evacuate tourist resorts.

Other severe fires burned in the western part of the Greek mainland as well as on the island of Chios.

In Albania, wildfires burned forests, houses and killed at least one person.

Several villages were evacuated as the fires continue to affect parts of the country. Around thirty wildfires are endangering residents and burning forest areas, according to authorities.

An 80-year-old man was reportedly killed by a fire in the Gramsh district, approximately 80km from the capital city of Tirana.

Around 1,000 firefighters, army personnel and local staff were mobilised to fight the flames, according to Albanian officials.

Wildfires on the Iberian Peninsula

In Spain, thousands are facing evacuation orders as wildfires burn across the Iberian Peninsula.

Firefighters have largely contained a blaze outside Madrid that broke out Monday night. That fire killed a man, led to dozens being evacuated and affected over 10 square kilometres of land. 

Several people have been arrested by Spanish officials as the alleged perpetrators of fires that broke out. 

The heatwave in the region is expected to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius in some areas.

In Portugal, emergency services are battling a series of wildfires amid another heatwave. 

Authorities said three major fires that started over the weekend were of concern. 

Around 2,000 firefighters are on the ground to try to tackle the flames, with more than 700 working to control a fire in Trancoso. 

An extreme weather alert was extended until Friday throughout mainland Portugal. 

Italian firefighters are tackling a wildfire on mount Vesuvius, where fires have been blazing since Friday. 

Planes dropped water over the flames hundreds of times to contain the wildfire.  

Europe is warming faster than any other continent, according to the EU Copernicus Institute, and wildfires have massively impacted the continent over the summer.