Heat rekindles wildfires near Greek capital Athens
Emergency crews battled to contain wildfires across Greece for a third straight day.
Authorities have ordered the suburbs of the capital Athens to evacuate.
Some however felt they had little choice but to stay.
One villager says if they had left, his home would have burned.
He said they had told women, the elderly and children to go, and those that stayed helped however they could.
Tens of thousands of wildfires have broken out in the country since Tuesday.
Although firefighters had been able to control some of it, heat has caused the fires to leap back to life.
Health officials say at least a dozen people have been sent to a hospital, including volunteer firefighters in intensive care.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged people to flee if asked.
"We are talking about unprecedented conditions following many days of heat waves which have transformed the whole country into a powder keg."
"If you receive the order to evacuate your area I implore you to comply. Houses can be rebuilt and trees re-grow but human life cannot be replaced. And in this state of emergency we must all remain united."
Officials have issued an extreme fire warning for half the country amid the heatwaves.
The fires have already burnt thousands of acres of forest land, prompting the evacuation of dozens of towns and villages.
Authorities warned of more blazes on Friday.
