Dozens of fires sprang up in Greece over the weekend, causing issues with smoke at popular tourist attractions.
Around a thousand tourists have had to evacuate so far. The fire department had to deal with 56 fires on Saturday alone.
Local civil protection authorities said the country was still on almost maximum alert.
Fires sprung up in Péloponnèse and the islands of Corfu and Samos, as well as on the continent.
Five hotels in the town of Pythagoreio on the island of Samos had to be evacuated because of the smoke. Local media said the holiday-makers were housed in a sports hall in the meantime.
The coast-guard used their boats to get dozens of people off the beaches.
“All the tourists have now returned to their accommodation,” said Samos mayor Christodoulos Sevastakis.
Greece was also hit by devastating fires last summer, which killed over a hundred people near Athens.
Forest fires regularly occur because residents ignore safety rules, for example throwing cigarette butts on the ground or carelessly lighting barbecues.
The Brussels Times
