Battling a third wave of extreme temperatures, at least eight Mediterranean nations have found themselves fighting deadly wildfires that have torn through nature reserves and homes. 

The weather emergency has prompted the European Union to expand its support, sending two Spanish firefighting planes to Tunisia.

It comes as fires in neighbouring Algeria left at least 34 people dead. 

Here’s a look at some of the major wildfires across Europe.

Greece 

More wildfires have broken out on Greece’s mainland since fires began last week on the Island Rhodes.

The latest city in the line of devastation is Volos, where outlying villages and a nearby industrial zone were ordered to evacuate on Thursday.

The fire service said there were no immediate reports of people trapped in factory buildings.

An older woman and a shepherd, who went to save his flock, were found dead following fires in the surrounding area, officials said.

New evacuations were ordered on the islands of Corfu, Evia and Rhodes on Wednesday night, where thousands of tourists were moved to safety over the weekend.

The charred remains of a missing farmer were found in southern Evia, following the death of two Greek firefighting pilots in a water drop crash. 

Strong winds and a sweltering temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius has hampered firefighting efforts.

Rhodes resident Philippos Karageorgiou lamented how the blazes destroyed “forest areas with virgin forest of several years … from herbs to anything you can imagine, and Rhodes was famous for all of these”.

Algeria 

Most major fires in Algeria have been contained or put out following three days of intense blazes.

The success was due to a huge mobilisation of aerial and ground resources as well as falling temperatures, authorities said.

Thirty-four people died, including 10 soldiers who were evacuating residents. 

The coastal and densely-forested region of Bejaia area was hardest hit.

Critics say the government’s efforts to prepare for the wildfires were insufficient following two deadly fire seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Fires in August last year claimed 37 lives in the north-eastern Taraf region.

At least 90 died in a deadly 2021 fire in the northern Tizi-Ouzou region.

Italy 

Two older people have been found dead in a house consumed by flames, outside of Sicily’s Palermo airport. 

The airport, in the capital of the Italian island, has been closed due to the encroaching fires, according to Italian news reports.

Firefighters battled wildfires across southern Italy as searing temperatures continued to scorch Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria.

Dozens of fires have broken out in the regions and multiple evacuations have been issued.

Fallen trees from freak storms in northern Italy also killed two people on Tuesday.

Croatia

A wildfire burning near the famous walled town of Dubrovnik was held back by water-dropping planes and more than 100 firefighters before it reached houses on Wednesday night.

“It’s been a long night, but we managed to stave off the part (of the fire) that is important because of the houses,” firefighting unit commander Stjepan Simovic said.

The medieval stone city is a protected heritage site and Croatia’s best-known tourism destination.

Portugal 

More than 500 firefighters have worked to combat a blaze near Portugal’s capital Lisbon. 

So far 90 people have been evacuated from their homes, along with 800 farm animals.

A fire near coastal town Cascais was brought under control early Wednesday, helped by cooler temperatures.

But firefighters remained in the area to watch for any further flare-ups as temperatures and winds rose again.

There are fears the blaze may spread into nearby Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. 

Türkiye

A hospital and a dozen homes were evacuated in the Riviera region of Kemer, as firefighters battled a woodland blaze for the third day.

At least 10 planes, 22 helicopters and hundreds of firefighters were deployed.

Five helicopters worked through the night, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Authorities said residential areas were not under threat in the coastal province. 

Water-dropping planes, helicopters and firefighters were also tasked to a forest blaze on Wednesday near the district of Beykoz, in Istanbul, where temperatures reached 43C. 

Emergency services also battled two fires near the towns of Kinik and Odemis.

 At least three villages near Kinik were evacuated as a precaution.

Spain

A fire set off from a brush cutter on Gran Canaria island has been stabilised, according to authorities on Thursday.

The fire in the la Caldera de Los Marteles volcanic area,  off the north-west coast of Africa, started when a worker using the cutter was clearing land with two others, island president Antonio Morales said. 

The three workers tried in vain to extinguish the fire before calling emergency services.

Hundreds of villages were evacuated and roads were closed while 250 firefighters and nine aircraft worked to contain the fire. 

Unfortunately, about 300 hectares of the mountain area was burnt. 

Tunisia

Wildfires that broke out in Tunisia in recent days are now under control, the nation’s Interior Minister Kamel Fekih, said on Wednesday. 

He said a “few fire pockets” in the north-western areas of Malouleh and Ain Sobh are currently being addressed but “no longer pose any danger”.

A school principal in the Tunisian town of Nefza died of asphyxiation early this week. 

Wires