The world's most catastrophic wildfires -

The northern region of Athens, Greece, has been engulfed in disastrous fires that have already claimed the lives of dozens, with many being forced to flee to the sea. A combination of hot weather, strong winds, and human carelessness created the perfect conditions for the deadly wildfires to spread.

Every year, countries all around the world have to battle the inferno that is a wildfire. Click through the following gallery to learn more about the most catastrophic fires in recent history.

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Greece, 2018 - Multiple fires broke out in the region of Attica, north of Athens, on Monday, July 23 2018.

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Greece, 2018 - The deadly fires have claimed the lives of over 70 people so far, with more than 100 injured and dozens still missing.

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Greece, 2018 - Many survivors took to the sea to flee the blaze, which was spurred on due to strong, high winds. This was Greece's worst wildfire tragedy in more than a decade.

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Portugal, 2017 - The June wildfires near Pedrogão Grande, central Portugal, killed more than 60 people—the country's largest loss of life due to a forest fire.

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Portugal, 2017 - Most casualties happened when the fire engulfed a road where many were escaping in their cars.

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Portugal, 2017 - More than 1,700 firefighters battled the flames for days, and Prime Minister António Costa declared three days of mourning.

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USA, 2017 - The California wildfire season last year was one of the most destructive ever, with a death toll of 43.

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USA, 2017 - The devastating Thomas Fire, the largest wildfire in California's modern history, burned over 281,000 acres of land.

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USA, 2017 - The 2017 wildfires caused over US$10 billion in damages, as reported by CNN.

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Greece, 2007 - The country has a dark history when it comes to wildfires. In 2007, blazes ravaged more than 670,000 acres and claimed the lives of over 80 people.

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Greece, 2007 - The series of fires stretched from June to September, and burned terrifyingly close to historic sites in Athens.

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Australia, 2009 - Several wildfires blazed through Victoria, Australia, for over a month in February 2009. The event is now known as the "Black Saturday Bushfires."

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Australia, 2009 - The tragedy claimed the lives of around 170 people and injured over 400, while also killing millions of the country's wildlife.

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Russia, 2010 - In 2010, Russia experienced unprecedented weather conditions, including one of the worst heatwaves since 1890.

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Russia, 2010 - The climate provided the ideal setting for a devastating fire to strike, which ended up killing around 60 people.

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USA, 2011 - The Wallow Fire completely ravaged the Bear Wallow Wilderness area in Arizona as soon as it started on June 26.

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USA, 2011 - Fortunately there were no casualties, but over all it burned about 841 square miles (2,180 sq km) of land across the states of Arizona and New Mexico.

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Israel, 2010 - Also known as “The Carmel Disaster,” this forest fire started on Mount Carmel, northern Israel, and prompted the evacuation of 17,000 people.

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Israel, 2010 - The biggest wildfire in Israel's history burned for days and claimed over 40 lives.

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USA, 1988 - The Yellowstone National Park was struck by devastating fires in the summer of 1988. They burned from June all the way through to November.

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USA, 1988 - More than 25,000 firefighters from all around the country were brought in to fight the flames.

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China, 1987 - Known as the "Black Dragon Fire," this catastrophic fire burned 28,141 square miles (72,884 sq km) of forest along the Amur River.

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China, 1987 - The fire destroyed three million acres of forest reserves across China and Russia, and it remains one of the most destructive wildfires in history to this day.

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Australia, 1939 - The January bushfires killed over 70 people and left scores without a home in Victoria, Australia.

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Australia, 1939 - A whopping five million acres of land were completely destroyed, and ashes from the blazes even reached New Zealand.

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USA, 1871 -

Considered the deadliest wildfire in American history, the Peshtigo Fire is thought to have taken the lives of around 1,500 people (although the toll could have been as high as 2,500 since most official population records were burned).

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 2.5)

© Wikimedia/Creative Commons

USA, 1871 -

The October forest fire roared across almost four million acres in Wisconsin and Michigan. It was sparked by rail workers who were clearing land to build new tracks.

(Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 2.5)

© Wikimedia/Creative Commons