Fires have forced evacuations and destroyed several homes in Albania. Firefighters and soldiers are battling the blazes. More than a dozen fires are active across the country. Hundreds of firefighters and soldiers have managed to contain most of the nearly 40 fires that have broken out in the past 24 hours, the defense ministry said.

The worst-hit area remains the southern coastal region of Finikas, about 160 kilometers south of the capital Tirana, where about 10 people were evacuated and several homes were destroyed. Earlier, flames, fanned by wind and extreme temperatures, swept through the hills around the town of Polissan in the central-southern part of the country, forcing the evacuation of elderly people from a nursing home and six families from nearby villages. Authorities said the fire there was under control and did not threaten surrounding communities.

About 800 Albanian soldiers are deployed on the ground, and military aircraft and helicopters from neighboring countries are also involved in the fight. Since the beginning of July, nearly 34,000 hectares have been burned, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Police say many of the fires were deliberately started, and more than 20 people have been arrested in recent weeks.

“Arson is not only a crime, it is also treason,” said Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Meanwhile, temperatures are expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in several parts of the Balkans this week, with Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia being the hottest. In Croatia, about 150 firefighters spent the night protecting houses from a blaze near the port city of Split. | BGNES