Ferocious wildfires have inflicted devastating damage across southern Europe and forced thousands of people to flee for their lives.
But just how bad are they in comparison to previous years?
It’s important to point out that this is ‘prime fire season’ for the Mediterranean and that such natural disasters are not unusual because of its ‘especially flammable’ landscape.
The region’s climate is the only one in the world with mild wet winters which allow vegetation to grow, and dry, hot