Greece battles wildfire in Evia, reports progress on Crete

ATHENS (Reuters) -Firefighters were battling a wildfire on the Greek island of Evia on Saturday which was burning forests and forced the evacuation of two villages, the fire brigade and authorities said.

More than 160 firefighters along with 46 trucks and five aircraft were deployed in southern Evia, east of Athens, to put out the blaze, which broke out late on Friday, a fire brigade official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. 

Evia was on a list of several Greek regions that were on high alert for wildfires due to gale force winds due on Saturday. The authorities ordered the evacuation of the villages of Tsakeoi and the seaside seasonal settlement of Limnionas in the early hours.

Southern Evia is a sparsely populated area of rugged mountains, agricultural land and popular seaside spots.

The fire there is the latest in a series of bushfires stoked by strong winds and dry conditions this week as much of Europe sweltered in an early summer heatwave, which officials have linked to at least eight deaths on the continent.

Another wildfire on the southern island of Crete, which has razed forest and olive groves since Wednesday and forced thousands of residents and tourists to temporarily evacuate, was largely contained, the fire brigade official said.

Tourism is a key earner in Greece and the fires have hit at the start of the peak summer holiday season.

Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, the Greek weather service said.

Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists - with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach.

(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Alison Williams)