Mediterranean has become a 'wildfire hotspot', EU scientists say

FILE PHOTO: A firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire near Marmaris, Turkey, August 1, 2021. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Mediterranean has become a wildfire hotspot, with Turkey hit by its most intense blazes on record and a heatwave producing a high risk of further fires and smoke pollution around the region, a European Union atmosphere monitor said on Wednesday.

Wildfires are raging in countries including Greece and Turkey, where thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and on Tuesday a fire threatened to reach a coal-fired power plant. [L1N2PB0FC]