Wildfires rage outside Athens, villages evacuated

FILE PHOTO: Burnt hillsides are seen following a wildfire near the village of Pefki on the island of Evia, Greece, August 12, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

LAVRIO, Greece (Reuters) - Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged out of control near Athens on Monday, forcing the evacuation of villages, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

More than 500 wildfires have broken out in recent weeks across Greece, which, like other countries in the Mediterranean region including Turkey and Tunisia, has seen some of its highest temperatures in decades.