Greece wildfires: Tourists and locals flee burning Athens - and islands including Crete

Greece is grappling with massive wildfires followinga week-long heatwave that saw temperatures skyrocket above 45C, leading to thousands being forced to abandon their homes as flames engulfed villages near Athens and several Greek islands.

A significant fire ripped through a northern suburb of the Greek capital on Saturday, triggering urgent evacuation orders, as confirmed by the country's Fire Service.

Residents in Kryoneri, situated about 12 miles northeast of Athens, received three SMS alerts urging them to relocate to safer areas, while the nearby village of Drosopigi was shrouded in smoke as explosions reverberated from factories storing combustible materials.

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Helicopters were dispatched to douse the area with water as a team of 65 firefighters, supported by 26 vehicles and two aircraft, battled the blaze.

Authorities also reported fighting three other major wildfires on Greece's largest islands, Crete and Evia.

A spokesperson for the fire department revealed that at least 52 wildfires had erupted across the nation in the past 24 hours, with strong winds exacerbating the situation and necessitating further evacuations.

On Evia, a force of 115 firefighters and 24 vehicles, aided by six aircraft and seven helicopters, strived to get the fires under control.

Residents in the Triada region were put on alert for potential evacuation as wind conditions deteriorated, reports the Express.

In other developments, the villages of Aroniadika, Pitsinades and Aryoi on the island of Kythera were evacuated, alongside Kryoneri and Sellas in Messinia, to the west of Athens.

These areas had been on high alert owing to extreme temperatures and predicted winds.

The Greek meteorological service has forecasted that temperatures could soar to 44C on Saturday, heightening concerns.

Wildfires are becoming an increasingly common and devastating issue in Greece, which is situated in what experts call a "wildfire hotspot" during the scorching and arid summer months, along with several other Mediterranean nations.