DROSOPIGI, Greece (AP) — Thousands of people have fled wildfires burning out of control in Greece and Turkey, including a major blaze just north of the Greek capital of Athens that left one person dead. A protracted heat wave has turned forests into tinderboxes and flames have threaten populated areas, power installations and historic sites. Firefighters across Greece were battling 56 active wildfires on Friday. The coast guard mounted an evacuation operation from the island of Evia. The fire near Athens burned forestland and houses as it moved toward the capital’s main water reservoir. In neighboring Turkey, wildfires described as the worst in decades have swept through swaths of the southern coast for 10 days and killed eight people.
Thousands flee fires in Greece, Turkey; some rescued by sea
