Two Dead, 100 Firefighters Battle Raging Greek Wildfire Near Thessaloniki as Blazes Hit Spain, France, and Nigeria

Two Dead, 100 Firefighters Battle Raging Greek Wildfire Near Thessaloniki as Blazes Hit Spain, France, and Nigeria

A wildfire near the Greek city of Thessaloniki has killed at least two people, with over 100 firefighters on the scene trying to contain the blaze [186022]. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and no evacuation orders have been issued yet [186022].

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disasters

The deadly Greek wildfire is part of a wider wave of fires across Europe and Africa. In Spain, a wildfire in Leciñena, in the Monegros region of northern Spain, has burned more than 1,000 hectares of pine forest in just a few hours [185782]. Officials say they are "not optimistic" about containing it [185782]. The fire started Tuesday afternoon in a mountainous area, with strong winds quickly driving the flames out of control [185782]. Around 250 personnel are on the ground, including crews from the regional Infoar fire service, the national BRIF firefighting unit, and Spain's Military Emergencies Unit (UME) [185782]. The regional government activated its highest emergency plan, level 2, on Tuesday afternoon, bringing in the UME [185782]. The main goal now is to stop the fire from spreading into the province of Huesca [185782]. One possible cause of the fire is a harvesting machine, but this has not been confirmed [185782].

In southern France, hundreds of firefighters are battling wildfires near Marseille and along the Herault-Aude border [187000]. Strong winds are making it difficult to contain the flames, and more than 1,000 hectares of land have already burned [187000]. Authorities have not yet reported any injuries or evacuations [187000].

In Nigeria, a fire broke out at a fuel terminal in Lagos on Wednesday, sending thick smoke over the busy Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway [189045]. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the blaze [189045]. The terminal, a key hub for fuel distribution in Africa’s largest economy, is located along a major transport route [189045]. Emergency responders were deployed to the scene, but officials have not confirmed any casualties or the extent of the damage [189045].

Investigations are ongoing in Greece, Spain, France, and Nigeria [186022][185782][187000][189045].

Sources

Two Dead as 100 Firefighters Battle Greek Wildfire Near Thessaloniki #186022Spain Wildfire Rages Out of Control, Burns Over 1,000 Hectares #185782Wildfires in Southern France Burn Over 1,000 Hectares, Firefighters Struggle #187000Fire Engulfs Major Fuel Terminal in Lagos, Cause Unknown #189045

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