Firestorm devours everything in its path: Buildings reduced to ashes, Emergency shelters prepared VIDEO

France continues to battle wildfires in the country's southwest, in the departments of Gironde, Var, and Côte-d'Or, while 21 departments in eastern France remain under an orange heatwave alert today.

The Gironde Prefecture announced that two people were arrested overnight on suspicion of deliberately starting fires, according to BFM TV.

The wildfire in Gironde was still under control this morning following a relatively calm night, the prefecture said.

Firefighters continue to work along the fire's perimeter and at all remaining active hotspots, the statement added.

Overnight, firefighters monitored six active wildfires, particularly in the Gironde and Bordeaux areas, as well as south of Lake Lacanau.

According to Météo-France, the intense heatwave is expected to persist across roughly the eastern half of the country, from Franche-Comté to Corsica, where temperatures are forecast to range between 35°C and 38°C (95°F–100°F), with highs of up to 39°C (102°F) expected in the Lyon area and the inland parts of the Var department.

Three firefighters killed in Greece

Three firefighters have been killed while battling wildfires on Crete and in the Peloponnese, as Greek authorities continued precautionary evacuations of residential areas and tourist destinations. Around 2,000 visitors and 29 local residents were evacuated by sea from beaches on the island of Crete, Greek authorities said.

Two firefighters were killed in a major wildfire that broke out yesterday afternoon in southern Crete, in the Rethymno region. According to initial reports, they became trapped inside their vehicle near the village of Sachtouria, where they were later found dead. A third firefighter collapsed due to a medical condition in Ageranos, in the Peloponnese, according to ProtoThema.

Two volunteer firefighters also sustained minor injuries during the firefighting operations.

Buildings destroyed in Turkey

A total of 3,514 personnel, 23 aircraft, 54 helicopters, and 1,035 ground vehicles are taking part in efforts to extinguish the wildfires that have affected Turkey, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced.

According to the statement, the fires have affected, among other areas, Antalya, Bursa, Manisa, Alanya, and Çanakkale, TRT Haber reported.

According to the local administration in the Mediterranean province of Muğla, 703 residents from 408 homes located in the fire zone were evacuated as a precautionary measure. Forty-five patients were also evacuated from a local public hospital.

“The fire damaged 55 buildings in six districts, with some of them completely destroyed,” the Muğla provincial authorities said.

A total of 25 aircraft, 410 ground vehicles, and 1,100 personnel are involved solely in fighting that wildfire, NTV reported.

“Efforts to combat forest fires are being carried out intensively and continuously by forestry organizations and all relevant institutions and agencies within the framework of the Turkish Disaster Response Plan, using their vehicles and personnel as part of the National Forest Fire Response Plan,” the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) said.

The General Directorate of Forestry announced that it is sending personnel to provinces affected by wildfires to monitor firefighting and response efforts on site and provide coordination support.

Local authorities reported that the fires do not pose a threat to tourist areas, as they are located at a considerable distance from the affected zones.