Seven die in raging Greek wildfires

The heatwave has ignited fires all over southern Europe

Hundreds of firefighters in Greece are fighting an uphill battle as more winds fanned two huge fires which have killed seven elderly people.

The winds had dropped earlier on Saturday giving the firefighters hope of bringing the flames under control.

"The wind has started blowing again, and unfortunately we have renewed fires, " said firefighter George Panayotakopoulos.

The fires, fuelled by the prolonged heatwave, have engulfed the north-western provinces of Epirus and Arcadia in southern Peloponnese.

This woman's village, 520km north-west of Athens, was engulfed by fire

Police said seven elderly people died in the blaze in Epirus, which swept across the border from Albania, covering a 40km (25mile) front.

The charred remains of five women were found in mountain villages in the region. An elderly couple were burned to death by the blaze on Thursday.

Pleas for help

Israel has agreed to send two firefighting helicopters to help. The Israeli embassy in Athens said they would arrive on Saturday.

Neighbouring countries were unable to respond to Greek pleas for help because they were struggling with their own brush fires, the Greek authorities said.

A state of emergency was declared in both Arcadia and Epirus. About 80 fires are burning out of control across Greece.

Temperatures are expected to stay around 37C.

More than 500 soldiers and 200 firefighters were battling the blaze in Epirus, while in Arcadia some 600 firefighters with 100 vehicles and 15 aircraft were mobilised.

The fires have been burning in Arcadia for five days, threatening a hydroelectric plant.

European hot spots

As a heatwave continues in southern Europe, there have been wild fires in Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia and Corsica, while the Kosovan capital, Pristina, is without water supplies.

Seventy fires are burning in southern Bulgaria

Bulgaria has declared a state of emergency in two southern districts, where nearly 70 fires have broken out in the last 24 hours. In Croatia, large swathes of farmland have been destroyed.

The fires across Europe have been so devastating because of a combination of heat and high winds. Low rainfall earlier this year has left parts of the continent a tinderbox, especially vulnerable to the record heatwave.