A powerful wildfire broke out in the territory of the Municipality of Himara, in southern Albania, late Friday evening, near Bypass Road in Neighborhood No. 1.

Strong winds caused the flames to spread rapidly, threatening surrounding areas and several homes.

According to information provided by the Prefecture and Civil Protection authorities, six homes have so far been completely destroyed. Three of the houses were inhabited, while three were unoccupied.

Residents described a difficult and frightening night as the rapidly advancing flames forced several people and tourists to leave their homes and accommodation facilities and move to safer areas.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far, according to preliminary information.

Tourism operators and local business owners said they were caught off guard by the fire, which spread quickly amid strong winds.

The situation remained critical into the early hours of Saturday. At around 2 a.m., another home was engulfed in flames, adding to the panic among families living in the area.

Aerial operations began Saturday morning, with helicopters dropping water over the active fire zones.

Albanian Armed Forces personnel, along with large numbers of firefighters deployed from cities across the country, remain on the ground as authorities work to contain and extinguish the remaining active fire fronts.

The situation remains difficult, with emergency crews continuing efforts to prevent the flames from spreading further and to protect homes and populated areas.