Man Dies as Fires Ravage Greece's Southern Tip

A man died as several forest fires fanned by gale-force winds battered Greece's southern tip and forced evacuations, the fire brigade said.

The 55-year-old man was injured in a blaze in the region of Ilia on the Peloponnese peninsula and died at a hospital, said a fire service official.

Some 120 firefighters, assisted by dozens of engines, were deployed to tame forest fires in Achaia region, which spread fast to the nearby district of Ilia and raged uncontrollably.

Residents of several villages in the fire-afflicted areas were told to flee their homes, while some used small buckets to assist in firefighting.

Footage showed houses gutted by fire in Kalfas village and large forest fires burning into the night in Latas village.

Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean country, but they have become more devastating as summers have become hotter, drier and windier, which scientists relate to climate change.

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

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 centers.

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.