[sweden fire]Maja Suslin/TT via AP An intense heat wave is sweeping over Europe, triggering deadly fires across the region. In Greece, a state of emergency was declared on Monday as huge forest fires killed 74 people across several towns and sent thousands running to escape flames devastating entire villages. But Greece isn't the only European country sweltering. Roaring temperatures and weeks of drought contributed to several major wildfires across Sweden over the last week and, according to AccuWeather, Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Stockholm are expected to have their highest temperatures of the year this week. Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1021534423278387200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Map showing fires and at-risk areas in northern Europe: pic.twitter.com/RdbXTWQvVy This is every country in Europe battling fires right now: GREECE IS EXPERIENCING ITS WORST FIRE CRISIS IN MORE THAN A DECADE. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis Wildfires are raging in regions around Athens and have affected numerous towns including Mati, Kineta, Rafina, and Melissi. Hot, dry temperatures exacerbated by high winds caused flames to spread throughout the region on Monday. "It's like we're at war," a Greek firefighter told local media. On Tuesday, the bodies of 26 adults and children were found close to the sea in Mati, and appear to have died sheltering each other from the fire. _Source: The BBC_ SWEDEN'S UNUSUALLY HIGH TEMPERATURES HAVE CAUSED SEVERAL FIRES TO BREAK OUT. Maja Suslin/TT via AP Almost 100 people were forced to leave their homes as more than 80 wildfires ripped through the country over the last week. The number of fires in the region were reduced to around 20 by Tuesday, but in that time Sweden lost an estimated 25,000 hectares of forest. The country usually experiences mild weather, and generally lacks the resources required to deal with large fires. The government has reached out for help from the military and other nations as fires spread above the Arctic Circle. On Monday, European nations sent hundreds of firefighters to tackle the worst blazes that Sweden has ever seen. _Source: The Local_ WHILE ENGLAND'S RECORD HEAT WAVE HAS TURNED THE COUNTRY FROM GREEN TO BROWN IN SATELLITE PHOTOS. Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1019552615263277059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw You can't help but have noticed the lack of rain in many areas over the last 10-12 weeks. It's even changed the way the UK looks from space! pic.twitter.com/T4Cjm8GMH3 Britain is continuing to experience its longest heat wave since 1976. Weather has also been unseasonably dry, with just two inches of rain falling between June 1 and July 16, making it the direst summer ever. Satellite photos released by the country's national weather service shows the country has been so hot and dry that it has turned from green to brown. The conditions have been blamed for several wildfires which have spread across northwestern England over the last month. _Source: The Washington Post_ SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER SEE ALSO: * NASA astronauts first landed on the moon 49 years ago today. Here's what the landing looked like and how the US pulled it off. * SpaceX may still rocket 2 mystery customers around the moon — here's what Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell says the trip could be like * 14 foods with wonderfully healthy fats that you should add to your plate SEE ALSO: DEVASTATING WILDFIRES IN GREECE KILL 74 WHILE DOZENS STRANDED ON THE BEACH WATCHED THEIR HOMES BURN
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