Forest fires fueled by a protracted heat wave continued to rage from Italy to Turkey and through the Balkans, writes DW.

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said July was the second-hottest on record in Europe. The heat wave has continued through August to ignite wildfires.

Major fires broke out in Greece and Turkey amidst the worst heatwave in years.

Neighboring countries are also facing similar crises. An EU disaster response group said firefighters and water-dropping planes were being sent from the bloc"s members to Italy, Greece, Albania and North Macedonia, where the government declared a 30-day state of emergency.

For more than a week, Greece has battled a heatwave that authorities describe as the country’s worse since 1987, with temperatures spiraling to 45 degrees Celsius. The heat wave is forecast to last until at least Sunday.