18 found dead in Greece wildfire as Spain prepares to declare disaster

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Authorities in northeastern Greece discovered the remains of 18 people Tuesday in a forest near the Turkish border as wildfires have devastated the region for the past four days.

Investigators and a local medical examiner were headed to Dadia national park in Evros, where a group of migrants were reportedly killed by the flames.

Officials were probing whether those killed had entered the country illegally because the region was known as a popular route for Syrian refugees crossing the River Evros from Turkey.

Another possible migrant death was reported in a nearby village, but no Greek citizens were reported missing in the region, according to fire service spokesman Yiannis Artopoios.

Emergency alerts were sent out over mobile devices, warning residents of numerous villages to leave the area.

Flames spread to Alexandroupolis, where a hospital was forced to evacuate, before reaching the city's university hospital, which sent patients and medical workers scurrying for the port.

Elsewhere, wildfires were also wreaking havoc in Spain, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez preparing to declare a disaster on the island of Tenerife once the blazes were under control.

Firefighters were working to gain control of a massive wildfire that's been burning for a whole week, with more than 12,000 families ordered to evacuate.

Some residents caught in the path of the fire said they had just a few minutes to scramble for their belongings as the flames closed in on their homes.

Emergency workers said the situation has improved somewhat since Sunday, but rugged terrain and an ongoing heatwave made extinguishing the fire much more difficult.

Many tourist destinations were unaffected, while airports remained open