Wildfires Rage In Europe And North Africa As Temperatures Climb (PHOTOS)

W​ildfires ​burned across at least nine countries along the Mediterranean this week, including countries in Europe as well as nations in North Africa, as a third consecutive wave of extreme temperatures hit.

P​hotos show destroyed homes and charred land, especially in Greece and Italy. Wildfires were breaking out across the Mediterranean as well, in Tunisia and Algeria, killing 34 people and prompting the European Union to send help with firefighting planes from Spain.

More wildfires ignited in Greece Wednesday, where temperatures reached above 104 degrees Fahrenheit this week. People were evacuated from the outskirts of the city of Volos, where two people died in fires, The Associated Press reported.

Evacuations were also ordered in the surrounding areas of the town of Lamia, further south, and more evacuations were issued on the islands of Corfu, Evia and Rhodes. The burned body of a missing farmer was found in southern Evia near where two firefighting pilots died in a crash.

(​MORE: Greece Wildfires Resurge; Thousands Evacuated On Rhodes)

Dozens of fires broke out across southern Italy as temperatures climbed. There were reports of more than 40 wildfires in Sicily alone. Several evacuations were ordered across the region.

In Portugal, more than 600 firefighters were battling a blaze near Lisbon, according to Reuters. About 90 people and 800 farm animals were evacuated from the area. About 19 miles away, a blaze was burning near the coastal town of Cascais. That fire was contained on Wednesday, but climbing temperatures threatened to worsen the flames.

Water-dropping planes were fighting against a blaze near the protected heritage site city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The planes as well as more than 100 firefighters managed to keep the flames from the historic city, however, strong winds were forecast that could grow the flames again.

Evacuations were issued in the town of Kemer, Turkey, including a hospital and a dozen homes, as a fire burned nearby. Another fire was burning in a forest near the Istanbul district of Beykoz on Wednesday, where temperatures soared above 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Two more fires were underway near the towns of Kinik and Odemis in western Turkey, according to Anadolu Agency. At least two areas of Kinik were evacuated.

Major fires in Tunisia and Algeria were contained or extinguished as of Wednesday. Of the 34 deaths in Algeria, 10 were soldiers assisting in evacuation, The Guardian reported. The tragedy follows two years of deadly wildfire seasons in the country, with fires in August 2022 in the northeastern Taraf region claiming 37 lives and 90 deaths in the northern Tizi-Ouzou region due to fires in July 2021.

Senior editor Nicole Bonaccorso works as weather.com's photo editor and writes about breaking news, travel, climate and more.

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