Istanbul, August 24 (RHC)-- Officials in Turkey have suspended ship traffic in the Turkish Straits linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, after wildfires broke out in the region.  Hundreds of ships were left idled as officials closed the Dardanelles Strait to clear the area for firefighting planes. 

In neighboring Greece, firefighters are battling more than 350 wildfires that have broken out over the past week, including fires that scorched homes just outside of the capital Athens. 

In the United States, a record-shattering summer heat wave continued Wednesday, with more than 130 million people in 22 states under heat alerts.  In the Pacific Northwest, the death toll from wildfires in eastern Washington state has risen to two.

In related news, officials in British Columbia have lifted travel restrictions after rain and cooler weather helped bring wildfires under control. British Columbia Premier David Eby said Wednesday human activity is to blame for Canada’s worst wildfire season on record.