Joe McConnell
One person has died after wildfires raged across the outskirts of Athens, Greece, on Monday.
The body, believed to be that of a woman, was found inside a shop in the town of Vrilissia, north of Athens, a fire brigade source told the BBC.
Thousands of people have been evacuated after firefighters raised the alarm, with homes, businesses and schools at risk and fires expected to continue on Tuesday.
Fire department spokesman Vassilios Vathrakogiannis said there were many “active hot spots” in the northeastern region of Attica, but that there were some signs of improvement on Tuesday night.
Greece just experienced its hottest June and July on record.
More than 700 firefighters, 199 fire engines and 35 water-dropping aircraft were involved in the fire, which broke out on Sunday afternoon about 35 km (22 miles) north of the Greek capital.
On Monday, the planes were forced to land as night fell, but ground operations will continue throughout the night.
In an unprecedented situation, people in Athens are wearing masks to protect themselves from the smoke that has invaded the city.
