More than 100 dogs rescued from the wildfires in Greece are being looked after by volunteers at Megara Olympians Municipal Stadium as a running track is turned into a temporary home18:39, 05 Aug 2026Updated 18:40, 05 Aug 2026A stadium built for Olympic athletes has been turned into an emergency shelter to house dogs rescued from wildfires in Greece.‌Dry weather and ferocious winds of up to 78mph have spread fires across the Attica region surrounding Athens.‌Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle the blaze on Wednesday after homes burnt to the ground in the villages of Porto Germeno and Psatha.‌At the Megara Olympians Municipal Stadium, volunteers have turned a running track into a makeshift home for pups caught up in the disaster.Rescued dogs could be seen catching some much-needed rest after being fed and given bowls of water.‌More than 110 animals have been housed at the arena since the wildfires began last week, with vets looking over each of the dogs as they come in to check for any injuries or signs of illness.Some of those rescued are strays, while others were seen wearing their owner's collars.Charities have warned that the fires are devastating the habitats of Greece's wild animals, including wild horses and deer.‌The Attica region has lost 42% of its forests to wildfires in the last 10 years, figures released this week showed.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: "I would like to reiterate once again that when a forest burns, this does not mean that the forest is lost forever. Forests that burn, especially those consisting of Aleppo pine, undergo a process of natural regeneration, which must of course be supported and protected. This is happening to a large extent in Attica."I would ask the competent authorities to present the relevant data so that the impression is not created that ‘almost all the forests of Attica have been destroyed’ and that ‘the damage caused is irreversible’.‌"Clearly, we are dealing with major environmental damage, and we will do everything within our power to support nature as it proceeds, at its own pace, through the process of natural regeneration."Authorities say 33 people were arrested across Greece between June 29 and August 2 for starting fires, including 30 through negligence and three on suspicion of arson.‌Most of the negligence cases involved farm work, including welding, which has been carried out despite local bans.Planes and helicopters have been used to dump water on the hotspots when winds allow.Costas Tsingas, head of the Greek Firefighters Association, said yesterday: "The goal is for the day to end better than it started.Article continues below"There is a huge fire load in the area and the risk goes up as the day progresses."