Pics: Wildfires rage in southern Greece
AP
Regional authorities declared a state of emergency in southwestern Greece as wildfires threatened village homes outside the city of Patras.
More than 120 firefighters and dozens of fire engines have been drafted into fight the blaze, along with eight aircraft and two helicopters, around 200km southwest of Athens.
AP
The flames have threatened village homes, and a number of people have had to be rescued from houses around 9.3 miles east of Patras.
The blaze started amid high winds and temperatures above 104F, and a state of emergency was declared in five villages.
AP
One fire brigade official told Reuters: "It's a difficult one - the flames are very close to homes We are doing everything we can."
AP
The news comes just days after a raging forest fire on the Spanish island of Tenerife came perilously close to the edge of a large tourist park.
Around 50 villagers were evacuated after the fire broke out on Sunday, and the flames have since spread over 2,700 acres.
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