Greece wildfires: PM describes 'nightmarish summer'
Greece wildfires: PM describes 'nightmarish summer'
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Greece's prime minister has talked of a "nightmarish summer" as forest fires continue to ravage the country. Thousands have been evacuated from their homes in parts of Greece and more than 1,000 firefighters have been deployed to bring the flames under control. The country is experiencing its worst heatwave in more than 30 years. Authorities have warned that the risk of further fires remains high in many regions including Athens and Crete.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the government's priority has been "first and foremost , to protect human lives". In the last 10 days, more than 56,000 hectares (140,000 acres) have been burnt in Greece, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Dozens of wildfires have broken out in the last 24 hours with the largest fronts in Evia - Greece's second largest island - and areas in the Peloponnese including Arkadia and Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games.

On Saturday, a fire just north of Athens on Mount Parnitha spread smoke across the capital. Authorities set up a hotline for people with breathing difficulties. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the area since Thursday but by Saturday the flames had receded. However with strong winds forecast, there are concerns that the fire could flare again.

 

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