Residents of Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, have been ordered to remain indoors with windows and doors sealed after a fast-moving wildfire engulfed a recycling plant in the nearby suburb of Oraiokastro, sending a thick plume of toxic smoke over the metropolitan area. Greek civil protection authorities issued shelter-in-place advisories for several surrounding suburbs, warning that the burning of industrial materials posed serious health risks. Five firefighters sustained injuries battling the blaze, with three in serious condition after inhaling toxic fumes.
The fire broke out on Saturday evening and spread rapidly due to powerful wind gusts, reaching industrial zones where it consumed several processing facilities including the recycling plant. Approximately 160 firefighters were deployed through the night to contain the flames, with water-dropping aircraft joining the effort at dawn on Sunday. Evacuations were ordered for three suburbs and a care facility housing 157 people with disabilities, all of whom were relocated safely.
Greek authorities arrested a 76-year-old man on Saturday night as a suspect in starting the fire. According to investigators, the man appeared to be intoxicated while driving at high speed on a rural road when his vehicle fell into a ditch, and sparks from the wheels ignited dry vegetation. The flames then spread uncontrollably toward the industrial area, fueled by extreme heat and drought conditions that have gripped southern Europe for weeks.
The Thessaloniki incident is part of a broader wildfire crisis engulfing southern Europe following a record-shattering heatwave in late June that scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said would have been virtually impossible without climate change driven by fossil fuel combustion. In central Portugal, more than 1,200 firefighters backed by nearly 400 vehicles and 15 aircraft have been battling a massive blaze near Vouzela that has scorched over 12,000 hectares since Thursday. Spain deployed 120 firefighters and 45 vehicles as reinforcements to Portugal, while Italy and Spain sent three firefighting aircraft to assist.
Across southern Europe, combined wildfires have burned more than 19,000 hectares, an area more than twice the size of Manhattan. Temperatures in the affected regions are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius again in the coming days, raising fears that the fire season will continue to intensify. Emergency services in France, Spain, Portugal, and Greece remain on high alert as drought conditions persist and vegetation remains dangerously dry.
Environmental experts warn that the frequency and severity of such wildfire events are increasing as climate change drives longer and more extreme heat periods across the Mediterranean basin. The European Union has activated its civil protection mechanism to coordinate cross-border firefighting assistance, with multiple member states contributing personnel and equipment. Health authorities across the region have urged vulnerable populations, including the elderly and those with respiratory conditions, to limit outdoor exposure and monitor air quality advisories.
Looking ahead, meteorological forecasts offer little relief, with sustained high temperatures and minimal rainfall predicted for much of southern Europe through mid-July. Greek authorities have vowed to maintain the shelter-in-place advisory for Thessaloniki until air quality readings return to safe levels, while Portuguese officials have warned that the Vouzela fire remains only partially contained. The ongoing crisis has reignited calls from environmental organizations for accelerated climate action and greater investment in wildfire prevention infrastructure across Europe.
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