ATHENS (Reuters) -Firefighters battled for a third day on Friday to put out a wildfire on the Greek island of Crete that has razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to leave the area.

A Greek official says it is a "very difficult situation" as the wildfire sees clouds of ash fills the sky over southern Crete, adding: "Right now, they cannot stop it."

The blaze comes as southern Europe contends with an acute summer heatwave which has killed people in several countries.

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.

Around 3,000 residents have been evacuated and put up in temporary shelters as wildfires continue to spread rapidly through the Greek island of Crete

A massive Greece wildfire on Crete, fueled by extreme heat and gale winds, has forced over 1,500 residents and tourists to evacuate as hundreds of firefighters battle multiple fronts. The post Greece Wildfire Engulfs Crete,

Helicopters battled wildfires in Greece as strong winds fanned the flames. Dramatic footage shows a firefighting aircraft releasing fire retardant against the backdrop of a striking sunrise near Ierapetra,