People living in the suburb of Kryoneri were told to move to safe areas on Saturday as almost 150 firefighters fought the blaze, backed up by 44 fire engines, planes and helicopters.

DROSOPIGI, Greece (Reuters) -Firefighters were battling wildfires near Athens and across Greece on Saturday as the Mediterranean country sweltered under the third heatwave of the summer, with some villages and settlements being evacuated.

Extreme heat, high winds and fires have plagued parts of Greece and Turkey as temperatures in Greece have risen to 111.2 degrees and in Turkey to 122.9 degrees.