Deadly Wildfire in Northern Greece: One Dead, Village Evacuated
A man has been found dead as an out-of-control wildfire burns in northern Greece, forcing residents of a nearby village to evacuate.
The man's body was discovered in a charred area near Liti, about 15 km north-west of the city of Thessaloniki. More than 100 firefighters are working to contain the blaze, with dozens of fire engines and at least seven aircraft deployed.
A woman was also injured after reportedly attempting to extinguish the flames, suffering burns to her hands. Hot and windy conditions have hampered firefighting efforts, with a wall of flame measuring some 5 km long and still spreading.
The cause of the blaze, which broke out at about 14:30 local time (11:30 GMT) and quickly spread to a nearby forest, has not yet been determined. The region was under a high wildfire risk warning on Tuesday, with dry conditions and high winds making containment difficult and causing repeated flare-ups.
Residents in Liti were urged to flee their homes. Greek broadcaster ERT reported that a small number of properties had been damaged by the fire, which was spreading towards the nearby village of Melissochori on Tuesday evening.
This is Greece's latest forest fire in recent days as the country heads towards its peak tourist season. Wildfires have become a common occurrence during summers of regular droughts and heatwaves, a trend linked to climate change.
