Deadly wildfires in Greece and other European countries destroy homes and threaten nature reserves
Associated PressRHODES, Greece — Deadly fires raging in Greece and other European countries advanced on Wednesday, destroying homes and threatening nature reserves during a third successive wave of extreme temperatures. The summer wildfires have struck countries across the region, prompting the European Union to expand its support, sending two Spanish firefighting planes to Tunisia after wildfires in neighboring Algeria left at least 34 people dead in recent days. CROATIA A wildfire was burning several kilometers away from the famous walled town of Dubrovnik, in the country’s south along the Adriatic Sea coast, where water-dropping planes and more than 100 firefighters held back the blaze before it reached houses overnight. Water-dropping planes, helicopters and firefighters were also deployed to a forest blaze Wednesday near the district of Beykoz, in Istanbul, where temperatures reached 43 C. The cause of the wildfire on the Asian side of the city wasn’t immediately known and it wasn’t clear if residential areas were under threat.