Fire crews in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are racing to contain wildfires. Calmer winds on Thursday have helped slow the blazes.

PATRAS, Greece (Reuters) -Firefighters battled multiple wildfires across Greece on Wednesday, including blazes threatening villages and towns near the western city of Patras and on two tourist islands.

Greece has seen a slight improvement in its wildfire situation, but officials on Thursday were not declaring the danger over. Firefighters, volunteers and local residents continue to battle numerous blazes across the country.

Spain on Thursday mourned its third wildfire death this week and Greece began beating back a blaze threatening its third-largest city as an unrelenting heat wave stoked tinderbox conditions in southern Europe.

In the current fire season in Greece, over 310 individuals have been arrested on suspicion of starting wildfires. Notably, the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE) has made fifty arrests so far this year, a sharp increase from fewer than ten in the previous years.

As climate change brings unprecedented levels of heat and drought, the country’s unpaid fire brigades are bracing for the worst in the absence of state support.

As wildfires raced through olive groves and forests in the Greek city of Patras, residents risked their own lives to save their pets and farm animals. Watch this video to see the lengths people went to to get their animals to safety and learn about the deadly toll of wildfires burning across Europe.

A massive wildfire in Achaia near Patras, western Greece, spread to nearby homes and villages, fueled by strong winds in the area.