‘Apocalyptic’ wildfires have engulfed Southern Europe with several holiday hotspots threatened by the blazes and residents forced to flee their homes.
Wild infernos have struck Montenegro and Albania while also causing devastation in Turkey and Greece where temperatures have soared above 44C.
Smoke rose from charred tree branches near Montenegro’s capital Podgorica today while huge flames could be seen dangerously close to city tower blocks.
Meanwhile, fire tore through landscapes near Bulqiza, Albania, this weekend as emergency services desperately tried to tame the blaze.
The fires are being ignited by unseasonably high temperatures, as well as dry conditions and strong winds.
Overnight, flames obliterated the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey, shining a threatening red glow on the sky.
It marked the latest city to be hit by deadly blazes this summer – as Cyprus also fell victim to aggressive wildfires amid unusually hot weather.
The governor’s office in Bursa said more than 1,760 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as around 2,000 firefighters battled the flames.
Smoke rises from trees burned by wildfires near Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, on Sunday
Flames rip through the landscape near Podgorica, Montenegro, today amid another wildfire
Firefighters battle a wildfire near Montenegro in Podgorica on Sunday afternoon
Smoke fills the air as blazes rip through grass areas in Podgorica earlier today
A helicopter throws water on the landscape to battle a wildfire near Montenegro today
A member of emergency services stands next to a wildfire near Bulqiza, Albania
Members of emergency services work to contain a wildfire near Bulqiza, Albania
The silhouette of a man is seen through smoke and flames in Bulqiza, Albania, this weekend
Flames rip through the forested mountains surrounding Bursa city in northwest Turkey overnight
Hundreds flee as wildfires spread rapidly to Turkey’s fourth-largest city, Bursa
The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed off as surrounding forests burned.
Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, likened the scene to ‘an apocalypse’.
Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires every day since late June – with Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli revealing fire crews across the country approached 76 separate blazes yesterday alone.
The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature – 50.5C (122.9F) – within the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday.
The same day, homes and holiday properties burnt down in popular holiday hotspot Cyprus.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice in response to the devastation on the island.
Warning of ‘active wildfires’, the government highlighted the Paphos and Limassol districts as some of the affected areas, located in the south of Cyprus.
It added: ‘Transport and infrastructure (electricity, water) links in locations close to the fires may be affected whilst the authorities respond to the situation.’
Though the FCDO noted the airports in Paphos and Larnaca are ‘operating as normal’.
‘If you are due to travel to an area that might be affected by wildfires, contact your travel operator or accommodation provider before you travel to check that it is not currently impacted. Make sure you have appropriate insurance,’ the advice read.
The Foreign Office also included recommendations for those in the area or affected by the wildfires.
Flames and smoke rise from a burning forest during a wildfire near Psachna Village on Evia (Euboea) island, the second-largest Greek island, today
A firefighting helicopter operates in a burned area after a wildfire in the area of Kryoneri, in the suburbs of Athens, Greece, today
A burned house after a wildfire in the area of Kryoneri, in the suburbs of Athens, Greece
Residents and firefighters attempt to extinguish a wildfire as smoke and flames rise from a forested area in the Gursu district of Bursa
Firefighters attempt to extinguish a wildfire as smoke and flames rise from a forested area in the Gursu district of Bursa early today
The fires are being ignited by unusually high temperatures, alongside dry conditions and strong winds
Emergency services and residents rest amid efforts to extinguish a wildfire in a forested area in the Gursu district of Bursa
Smoke and flames rise from a forested area during the latest major wildfire in Turkey
The fires are being ignited by unusually high temperatures, alongside dry conditions and strong winds
‘Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires. You should follow the guidance of the emergency services,’ it stated.
‘Call the Cypriot Emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger.
‘Contact your airline or travel operator, who can assist you with information relating travel back to the UK.’
And yesterday, British tourists were put on alert as Greece wildfires spread amid a 44C heatwave – as a blaze tore through the capital of Athens.
The southern European country was first hit with the scorching temperatures on Monday and they have not relented throughout the week.
After the mercury hit a blistering 44C high in Athens on Tuesday, a wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the capital on Friday.
Shocking pictures showed homes ablaze while residents of the town of Kryoneri, 12.5miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS warnings to evacuate.
