Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds continued to rage across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning houses, farms and factories and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists.

Heatwave blanketing southern Europe are sparking blazes from Portugal to the Balkans with a major fire in Greece.

A rapidly spreading wildfire near Patras, western Greece’s third-largest city, is posing a significant threat to infrastructure and homes as intense heat accompanied by strong winds ignites the fire across southern Europe.