Hundreds of firefighters are battling a wildfire on Greek's second largest island.
A state of emergency has been declared in central Evia, near to Athens, as more than 227 firemen, supported by six helicopters and six other aircraft, tackle the blaze.
Thick smoke rapidly spread across the island with smog reaching the capital, Athens, 70 miles away.
A fire brigade official said surrounding villages on the island, popular with European holidaymakers , are being evacuated and pine forests are being destroyed.
Croatia and Italy were expected to send airborne firefighting equipment after Greek authorities appealed for assistance from its European partners.
Wildfires raged in at least four other regions, and the fire brigade said it had been called to put out 182 fires in the last three days.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis interrupted his holiday on Crete to return to Athens where he was briefed on the situation.
"The conditions today are exceptionally difficult, and the primary concern of the state is and will be the protection of lives and by extension of property," Mitsotakis said.
TV showed thick, dark smoke blanketing the area, with ash falling kilometres away, blown by strong winds.
A local mayor told state TV ERT the wildfire had reached the gardens of some houses in the village of Kontodespoti.
Greece often faces wildfires during its dry summer months, and authorities have warned of the high risk of blazes this week.
Environmental campaigners see an increasing number of wildfires around the world as a symptom of global warming.
A horrific blaze that swept through the seaside town of Mati near Athens in July 2018 killed 102 people in a matter of hours.
