Hundreds Evacuated by Sea From Island as Greek Wildfires Rage

About 631 people have been picked up by Coastguard vessels and tourist boats from 3 beaches on the island of Evia, where a vast area of pine forest has been burning since Tuesday.

Greece is bracing up for a fourth day of wildfires, with emergency services forecasting strong winds and searing temperatures.

A number of suburbs have been evacuated as the fire burned around the main highway linking Athens to northern Greece with hundreds of firefighters with water-bombing aircraft still trying to prevent the flames from reaching the nearby town of Marathon.

Temperatures have been over 40 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit) and was not expected to let up with gale force winds expected to spread the flames further.

According to officials, about nine people have been taken to hospitals with varying degrees of injury, including two volunteer firefighters treated for burns in intensive care units in Athens

With neighboring Turkey also battling huge wildfires for more than a week, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday Greece needed to strengthen its preparedness for severe weather.