Wildfires burn outside Athens, villages evacuated

LAVRIO, Greece: Strong winds fanned two wildfires outside Athens on Monday, threatening homes and forcing the evacuation of villages.

More than 500 wildfires have broken out in recent weeks across Greece, which, like other countries in the Mediterranean region including Turkey and Tunisia, has seen some of its highest temperatures in decades. On Monday, a blaze broke out on a mountain near the port town of Lavrio, about 60 km (40 miles) south of Athens, forcing the evacuation of two nearby villages.