Unprecedented
forest fires have ravaged Greece, which the country’s Prime Minister said has caused
a “nightmarish summer”. Thousands of residents have been evacuated from cities
as more than a thousand firefighters try and bring the fire under control.

The
wildfires are thought to be caused by the country’s worst heatwave in over 30
years. Authorities have warned that many parts, including Athens and Crete,
remain at high risk of further fires, The BBC reported.

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Prime Minister
Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that the government’s priority is “first and
foremost, to protect human lives”.

More than 56,000
hectares (140,000 acres) has been purged in Greece in the last 10 days, according
to the European Forest Fire information System.

Dozens of
fires have also broken out in the last 24 hours other parts, including Evia –
Greece’s second largest island – and in the Peloiponnese including Arkadia and
Olympia, where the Olympic Games originated from.

Over 2,000
people have been evacuated from Evia via ferry, with 10 ships waiting at Pefki,
in the north of the island, ready to evacuate people if needed, a Coast Guard
spokesperson told The Associated Press news agency.

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On Saturday,
the capital city of Athens was covered with smoke coming from the Mount Parnitha.
A Hotline was set up for people with breathing difficulties, AP reported. Thousands
had been evacuated since Thursday but by Saturday, the flames receded. But with
forecasts of strong winds, there are concerns that the flames could be sparked again.

Amid the
crisis, a number of countries have offered their support. Nations like France,
the UK, Romania and Switzerland have sent firefighters.

Meanwhile,
Turkey is also grappling with what President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said are the
country’s worst wildfires. Tens of thousands of hectares have been destroyed in
the Mediterranean and the Aegean provinces.