AT LEAST one person has died as terrifying wildfires sweep across Greece and spread across Europe.
Up to 16,000 acres of land has been decimated in the Keratea region, south of Athens, in the latest fires ripping through the Mediterranean.
An elderly man was found dead inside his bed by firefighters who have been tirelessly battling against the numerous blazes.
This is now the third consecutive day of wildfires in the region, according to the National Observatory in Athens.
They have warned high winds have been fanning the flames will persist until at least Monday.
More than 260 firefighters with nearly 80 fire engines along with 12 aircraft were deployed near Keratea.
Dimitris Loukas, mayor of the city of nearby Lavrio, said the Keratea fire destroyed dozens of homes, agriculture and forest land.
Over in Italy, brave firefighters tackled a wildfire which was quickly heading towards Mount Vesuvius National Park.
Officials ordered all the hiking routes up the volcano near Naples were immediately closed to tourists as a precaution.
Billowing clouds of smoke could be seen from the Pompeii archeological site.
The national fire service said 12 teams have been on the ground alongside six Canadair planes to fight the blaze since August 8.
Officials have voiced concerns over the fires heading towards Mount Vesuvius due to its location.
Italo Giulivo, who leads the civil protection department in the region, mentioned, “The fire suppression operations are especially challenging due to the weather conditions—elevated temperatures and strong winds—combined with the presence of pine needles, which facilitate the fire’s spread.”
Italy’s biggest agricultural association Coldiretti added that the fires were “an enormous disaster” for vineyards and farms.
The local prosecutors’ office has opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.
France was also hit with soaring flames over the weekend.
Around 1,400 firefighters were deployed Saturday in the southern Aude region to prevent the country’s largest wildfire in decades from reemerging.
Locals have been slowly returning to their homes since Thursday after 62 square miles of land was scorched across the week.
Aude prefect Christian Pouget announced the worst hit areas were the popular vineyards in the area.
Pictures show the devastating aftermath with the wineries reduced to piles of ash.
And with Monday forecast to be the “hottest day nationwide”, according to national weather service Meteo France, further disruptions are expected.
In Portugal, witnesses observed individuals attempting to put out the flames on a burning stretch of grass during a forest fire in Sao Pedro e Santa Maria, Trancoso.
The fire in Trancoso caused officials to mobilise eight helicopters and more than 300 firefighters.
The most deadly of the European fires have come from Turkey.
At least 17 individuals have lost their lives in the catastrophic wildfires, as unprecedented 50°C heat and fierce winds drive destruction across the eastern Mediterranean.
The infernos have forced more than 3,500 residents to flee their homes, with vast swathes of forest reduced to ash.
