One person has been killed after a large wildfire in Keratea, southeast of Athens, spread rapidly, destroying homes and prompting evacuation alerts.
The fire service says the body of an elderly man was found inside his home in the Togani area, close to where the fire started.
The blaze broke out shortly after 14:00 local time (12:00 BST) on Friday in the Manoutso area, initially burning through dry grass and plots of land.
Across Greece, more than 50 agricultural and forest fires have broken out in the past 24 hours – one of the worst days for wildfires this summer.
Fanned by winds of up to 8 Beaufort, with gusts reaching 9, the fire near Keratea grew quickly in size and intensity. Thick smoke and strong gusts are hampering firefighting efforts.
Emergency messages from the 112 civil protection service have been sent in quick succession, urging thousands of residents to leave affected areas.
Police are in place to help with evacuations and have already removed at least 10 people who had refused to leave their homes.
Authorities say seven areas have so far been evacuated: Synterina, Dimolaki, Maliasteka, Agiasma, Charvalo, Drosia and the settlement of Ari, which has been severely affected, with the fire sweeping through from end to end. Roads have been cut off as flames have crossed fields and reached residential areas.
Lavreotiki mayor Dimitris Loukas told public broadcaster ERT that the blaze is “extremely difficult” to contain and now stretches more than seven kilometres.
He said evacuations are under way for all residents in the affected settlements. The fire has moved south from Manoutso towards Drosia, entering a pine forest, with winds now pushing it towards the Anavyssos area.
Authorities warn that if it is not contained soon, it could grow even larger.
A force of 190 firefighters, seven ground teams, 44 vehicles and the mobile operations centre “Olympus” – is battling the flames, supported by 11 aircraft and seven helicopters. Tankers and heavy machinery from the Attica region are also deployed.
Fire crews from the Czech Republic and Romania have joined the effort, while army engineering units are providing heavy machinery to assist in containment.
Later on Friday, another large wildfire broke out in Helidoni, in the municipality of Ancient Olympia, western Greece.
Fire officials say the greatest danger comes from embers carried by the wind, which are igniting multiple spot fires. High-voltage power lines run through the area, and crews are working urgently to stop the flames from reaching them.
Evacuation messages were sent via the 112 civil protection service to residents of Grammatikos, Lantzoi, Agios Georgios Lantzoïou, Pournari and Irakleia in the regional unit of Ilia, advising them to move towards the town of Pyrgos.
Fire crews are battling the flames in Grammatikos, Lantzoi, Helidoni and Irakleia, with strong winds driving the fire dangerously close to Pelopio and the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia.
One person who had been trapped at the Helidoni football ground has been taken to hospital by ambulance with severe burns to their arms.
Around 80 firefighters, three ground teams, 25 vehicles and local authority resources are on scene. Six aircraft and three helicopters are assisting from the air.
Authorities have warned that the risk of further outbreaks remains severe, particularly in Attica, the Peloponnese and western Greece.
