In Photos: Fires Ravage Southern Europe

From the Greek islands to southern Turkey, extreme heat and dry conditions are driving devastating wildfires that have killed people and threatened homes, ancient heritage sites and tourist havens.

ATHENS — Shells of houses and cars left gutted by flames. Stretches of forest reduced to ash. Tourists evacuated by boat from once idyllic beaches where the skies are thick with smoke. As southern Europe grapples with one of its worst heat waves in decades, deadly forest fires have engulfed stretches of the region, bringing a newly reopened tourism industry to a halt and forcing mass evacuations. The raging fires pushed residents from their homes in villages on the Greek mainland and islands and across neighboring Turkey, and forced tourists to abandon beachside destinations across the region. Fires plagued Turkey’s southern coast for a ninth day on Thursday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate by land and sea overnight. Video broadcast on Turkish television showed uncontrollable flames suddenly changing direction amid strong winds, trapping people.