Dozens of intense wildfires have swept across parts of Greece and Turkey, as sweltering conditions continued to push temperatures well into the triple digits, The New York Times reported.

In Turkey, a rapidly spreading fire forced the evacuation of 3,500 people as flames neared Bursa, the country's fourth-largest city, the Associated Press reported. 

"We are going through risky days," said Ibrahim Yumakli, Turkey's agriculture and forestry minister, per the Times. 

What's happening?

In Turkey, firefighters battled more than 80 separate blazes, while in Greece, officials deployed almost 500 firefighters in an effort to slow five major fires, the Times reported.

Rapidly spreading fires in the hills outside Bursa in northwest Turkey forced the closure of the highway to the capital Ankara, according to the AP report. Turkey had deployed over 1,900 firefighting personnel to the region.

The fires had resulted in the deaths of at least one firefighter and two others, per the AP.  

Meanwhile, in Greece, a massive wildfire outside Athens forced the evacuation of an entire village, while beaches on the popular island of Kythira were emptied as blazes spread there, the Times said.

Greek officials said the multiple fires had strained resources to the breaking point, with a fire-service spokesperson saying that, if "there had been another two or three fires like the one near Athens," the service would have been unable to adequately respond, per the Times.  

Officials expect the high risk of fire to continue through October. 

"We must do all we can to restrict every possible risk," said Giannis Kefalogiannis, Greece's climate crisis and civil protection minister, per the Times. "We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, homes were burned and forestland destroyed."

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The wildfires come after months of record high temperatures have baked broad swathes of the European continent, leaving vegetation parched and conditions ripe for fires to start and to spread rapidly.   

Why is Europe having so many wildfires?

Europe is the fastest-heating continent in the world, and this summer has shown why. Europe just concluded its hottest June on record, with temperatures in some areas soaring to as high as 114 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Al Jazeera. 

Beyond increasing the risk of wildfires, which burn homes, devastate communities, shutter businesses, and destroy lives, the extreme heat itself also poses a direct threat to public health. 

A heat wave that swept the continent from June 23 to July 2 resulted in 2,300 heat-related deaths across 12 European cities, found an analysis by researchers at Imperial College London. Of these deaths, the study's authors attributed 1,500 to rising global temperatures. 

"Climate change has made it significantly hotter than it would have been, which in turn makes it a lot more dangerous," said Ben Clarke, a researcher at Imperial College London, per Reuters.  

What's being done about wildfires in Europe?

In the immediate term, taking fire-mitigation measures like banning outdoor fires and other risky activities while ramping up firefighting resources can help to mitigate the impact that rising temperatures are having on wildfire severity.

However, the only way to avoid the worst impacts of rising global temperatures is to significantly reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere.

While it is impossible to tie any single severe weather event to human causes, scientists have warned for decades that, as global temperatures rise, the magnitude of severe weather events also will increase.  

Significantly cutting back on planet-heating pollution will require cooperation at the international and national levels, as well as large-scale collaborations between government and industry.

However, there still are plenty of actions that individuals can take every day to reduce planet-heating pollution. 

Walking, riding a bicycle, taking public transit, or driving an EV are all great ways to improve local air quality while combating rising global temperatures.

To take things a step further and maximize the environmental impact and cost savings of driving an EV, you can install solar panels on your home. Charging an EV off home solar is cheaper than doing so off the grid or at public charging stations, while also ensuring your vehicle is powered with cleaner, renewable energy from the sun. 

EnergySage offers free tools that make it easy to compare quotes among vetted local installers while also maximizing tax credits and other incentives, saving customers up to $10,000 in the process.    

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