First major wildfires of summer season erupt in south-central Greece

The first major wildfire of the season erupted on Monday afternoon towards evening in the south-central prefecture of Fokida, and near the town of Amfissa.

The blaze was moving along three fronts late in the evening, with civil defense authorities calling, via an emergency service, on local residents to evacuate the area, with the warning coming just before 23.00 local time.

Most of the scorched areas so far have been olive groves and mountainous brushland.

Residents were transported to hotels near the Delphi archaeological site, with the fire brigade also focusing on preventing the flames from reaching the eponymous township.

Another major wildfire was reported further south, in the northeast corner of the Peloponnese, and specifically near the town of Kranidi. As a result, one hotel was torched.