Since last week, Turkey, Italy and Greece have been hit by an intense heat wave that sparked wildfires— leaving 8 people dead so far. With temperatures reaching 107 F, the fires are sweeping Turkey’s coastal cities of Antalya and Mugla, which are popular tourist destinations. The surrounding countryside is also being affected, with villages destroyed, animals on fire and people being forced to evacuate.
According to NBC News, panicked tourists were evacuated from hotels in Antalya and Mugla on Saturday as a fire swept down a hill towards the seashore.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a news conference that the Turkish government would cover the rent for people affected by the fire and rebuild their homes, after visiting affected areas and inspecting the damage from a helicopter on Saturday.
“We cannot do anything beyond wishing the mercy of God for the lives we have lost, but we can replace everything that was burned,” he said.
Wildfires are common in southern Turkey in the summer months, but local authorities say the latest fires have been considered one of the worst in decades.
On Saturday, a new blaze erupted in the popular resort town of Bodrum, on the Aegean coast, and some residential areas and hotels were evacuated, according to local news.
In Italy and Greece, problems caused by the intense heat wave are also worrying the governments.
Beach goers on an Italian beach south of the Adriatic city of Pescara, ran away after seeing towering clouds of smoke and flames from a fire in a nearby pine forest.
Firefighters in Italy said they were battling wildfires on the southern island of Sicily for the second day straight. People were forced to leave their homes, and the local airport temporarily shut down.
Temperatures in southeast Europe are expected to climb to more than 107 degrees this week, and the wildfires in Turkey, Italy and Greece may continue into the coming weekend.