Greece continued to battle raging wildfires for a second straight day Sunday, as blazes destroyed homes and forced evacuations, while reinforcements from the Czech Republic and firefighting aircraft from Italy were en route to assist.
Five fires were still raging Sunday morning in the Peloponnese area west of the capital, as well as on the islands of Evia, Kythera and Crete, with aircraft and helicopters resuming their work in several parts of the country at dawn.
"Today is expected to be a difficult day with a very high risk of fire, almost throughout the territory," fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said Sunday, though he added that the situation was improving.
Forecasters predicted the strong winds that have fanned the flames would die down Sunday in most areas but warned that Kythera, a popular tourist island with 3,600 inhabitants, continued to face "worrying" windy conditions.
Evacuation messages were sent to people on the island, which lies off the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese, early Sunday as the fire raged unabated.
