Volunteer firefighter dies battling Greece blaze

A volunteer firefighter has died battling wildfires fanned by gale-force winds in southern Greece.

The 55-year-old man was injured in a blaze in the region of Ilia on the Peloponnese peninsula and later died in hospital.

Fire brigade spokesman Vassilios Vathrakogiannis said around 45 wildfires broke out within hours of each other on Friday.

"All forces are making a superhuman effort to tame them," he said.

Wildfires are common in Greece but authorities have warned of growing risks due to dry conditions, strong winds and temperatures reaching highs of 40C.

At a press briefing, Mr Vathrakogiannis said civil protection forces would be on high alert throughout the weekend.

"In some cases, wind velocity exceeds 95km/h (59mph), which hinders the approach by air, and our pilots are expending every possible effort to approach the fire fronts safely," he said.

Several villages in the south have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Mayor of Pyrgos Stathis Kannis said evacuated residents would be given shelter in hospitality centres.

According to the newspaper Kathimerini, the country has been on high alert for wildfires since Tuesday.

On Wednesday, a wildfire consumed olive groves in the Moria region on the island of Lesvos.

On the same day, a water-bombing aircraft was deployed to put out a wildfire on the outskirts of Athens, and residents living in two settlements on the outskirts of the capital had to be evacuated.

Last year, more than 40 people died in Algeria, Italy and Greece and thousands were evacuated as Mediterranean wildfires threatened villages and holiday resorts.

Fires raged on the tourist hotspots of Corfu and Evia, while the entire island of Rhodes was put into a state of emergency.