Evacuations in Greece after major forest fire breaks out - Fires fanned by gusty winds and stubborn heatwave that has pushed temperatures to around 40C across much of Greece

In July 2018, at the height of tourist season, the worst wildfire to hit Greece in over a decade tore through a small resort town near Athens, killing 104 people and injuring more than 200. Fires ripped through Mati, burning some 135,000 hectares of forest and destroying dozens of homes and businesses.

A major forest fire has broken out in Greece, and authorities have ordered several villages near Corinth, west of Athens, to evacuate.

A week-long heatwave in Greece that began on Monday is now expected to last more than a week, the country's weather service said as temperatures on Friday neared 46C.

A fierce forest fire near the Greek city of Corinth saw villagers flee their homes after officials ordered evacuations. More than 180 firefighters, 15 planes and 12 helicopters tackled the wildfire, which tore through a pine forest in the mountains near the city. There were no initial reports of casualties.

Strong winds were fanning the blaze near Athens and other sites and the Peloponnese peninsula that juts out west of the capital, fire brigade spokesman Vasileios Vathrakogiannis said. They were also feeding the flames on the islands of Crete, ­Euboea and Kythera, he added: “The hard part is ahead of us.”

Europe is witnessing a sharp surge in wildfires in 2025, with record-breaking blazes scorching over 227,000 hectares of land. Mass evacuations and lockdowns have hit Spain and France.