San Francisco Frontiers - Europe wildfires: latest developments

A historically hot summer on the planet's fastest-warming continent has contributed to the deaths of thousands of people -- and increased the risk of wildfires, with blazes periodically sweeping through parched landscapes.

There was to be no relief from the heat Friday, with some 150 million Europeans -- particularly in France, Germany, Spain and Italy -- set to experience temperatures over 35C, according to AFP calculations.

Here's what to know.

- Croatia -

Croatian firefighters were tackling "one of the worst" wildfires in the country's history, fire chief Slavko Tucakovic said, as flames engulfed homes and injured 19 people on the coast.

Around 2,000 had been evacuated from nearby villages as the fire ripped through the surrounding hills, damaging homes and destroying cars in the early hours.

As access reopened mid-morning, AFP saw the blackened remains of several burnt-out cars along roads near Omis, some ringed by silver puddles of metal that had melted under the intense heat of the fires.

- Spain -

A fire that began Monday in Spain's northeastern Aragon region and has forced the evacuation of 850 people so far is threatening the two monasteries of San Juan de la Pena. The oldest of the two dates back to the 10th century and is a symbol of the region.

The flames have got close to the site, which holds the remains of the first kings of the medieval kingdom of Aragon, but these as well as other artefacts have been removed as a precaution.

- Germany -

A wildfire in western Germany forced around 1,800 people to leave their homes overnight, officials said, with helicopters and army equipment deployed to help battle the flames.

A district of the town of Huertgenwald near the Belgian and Dutch borders was evacuated after the blaze expanded from 25 hectares (around 60 acres) to 300 hectares by Friday morning. Witnesses describing an "alarming feeling" and "ash falling from the sky".

Around 100 emergency service workers were also in action overnight fighting another wildfire further east near the Moehnesee lake, also in North Rhine-Westphalia.

- France -

France, which has already suffered a series of major fires this season, was facing another one in the southwest that has already forced more than 500 people to flee, officials said Friday.

The blaze has already burned 1,100 hectares (about 2,700 acres) in the department of Landes, approaching the village of Luglon.

- Montenegro and Albania -

Blazes were also burning in other parts of the Balkans as a heatwave brought soaring temperatures and worsened drought conditions.

Emergency crews in Montenegro have been battling fires along the coast for several days, while fires were reported near Albania's capital on Thursday.

- Britain -

British firefighters were "under significant pressure" as multiple wildfires spread at a time of soaring temperatures and drought conditions, the head of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.

In the town of Stourbridge in central England, images showed scorched fields and burnt-out homes on Thursday, the UK's hottest day of the year so far. Three firefighters were also hospitalised fighting that blaze southwest of Birmingham.

- Greece -

Wearing bathing costumes and many carrying children, the tourists were moved to nearby beaches, while about 200 were taken to a ship waiting at sea, officials and public broadcaster ERT said.

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W.Thompson--SFF