A wildfire on the outskirts of Athens is now under control, but evacuations of affected areas are continuing as strong winds are expected over the weekend.
At least one person died and homes and farmland were destroyed yesterday as fires, fanned by gale-force winds, raged across Greece from the Athens area to ancient Olympia.
The worst blaze broke out in the small town of Keratea, southwest of Athens, where firefighters found the body of an elderly man in a burnt-out building.
A fire brigade spokesman said today that the fire there was under control but not extinguished.
Gusts of up to 80 kilometres per hour fanned the flames around the town of Keratea yesterday, setting olive groves ablaze. Houses were engulfed in flames as locals helped firefighters.
Police went door-to-door late last night to make sure homes had been evacuated.
Fires are still smoldering in much of the area this morning, with local media posting footage of burned-out houses.
Other fires in the Olympia region and on the island of Kefalonia have also subsided.
