Greece firefighters on Monday continue their battle against wildfires across the country, eight days since the first fire broke out near Athens.

Firefighting planes and helicopters were deployed at first light on Monday to all the fire grounds, according to the Civil Defence.

Large fires broke out on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu and numerous other regions of Greece, suffering a prolonged drought.

On Corfu Island, the evacuation of the popular holiday resort of Nisaki began on Sunday night, and already coastguard boats had evacuated around 1,000 holidaymakers and residents to safety, state television reported.

Large fires were also reported on the island of Evia, near Karystos, and on the Peloponnese peninsula near the small port town of Aigio on Monday morning.

Numerous villages were evacuated there as well.

No one has been injured so far, the rescue service said.

Similarly, on Rhodes, a major fire raged for the seventh day in a row on Monday, and around 20,000 people from the south-east of the island had been brought to safety as of Saturday.

It was one of Greece’s largest-ever evacuation operations, as the fire, caused by heatwave and strong winds, continues to devour the country. 

(dpa/NAN)