GREECE is battling to contain 81 wildfires across the country, fuelled by a heatwave and strong winds.
Greek army, police, and volunteer rescuers have been deployed to evacuate thousands of people near Athens.
Reports say the wildfires began in Kuvaras, an area located around 50 kilometers southeast of Athens, and the blaze spread fast amid erratic winds up to 70 kilometers per hour.
Meanwhile, 1,200 children were evacuated in Loutraki town, west of Athens as flames approached their camp.
Dozens of families have had to leave their homes and they were evacuated by emergency service crews.
Animals have also been evacuated.
The Greek government said people whose homes had been affected by the wildfires were eligible for accommodation in local hotels, and that they would be compensated later.
In recent days, Greece has hit temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celcius.
