Firefighters are battling a major out-of-control wildfire on the Greek island of Paros, forcing the evacuation of several villages as residents flee to beaches and coastal areas to escape the advancing flames. The village of Agkairia is among the communities most threatened by the blaze.
Dozens of firefighters have been deployed continuously since Tuesday, with reinforcements requested from nearby islands including Naxos and Syros, as well as the mainland. Aerial operations using water-dropping aircraft and helicopters were suspended overnight and resumed at dawn. Strong winds, expected to intensify later Wednesday, are complicating containment efforts.
Authorities have raised the fire danger level to four out of five across Crete and the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Ikaria and Psara. A level-three alert is in effect for the Athens metropolitan area and the northeastern Peloponnese. Firefighters also responded to outbreaks in the northeastern Evros region on Tuesday.