Smoke billows from Greece wildfires as sun sets

Thousands of people fled wildfires burning out of control in Greece on Friday, including a major blaze just north of the Greek capital of Athens that left one person dead.

A protracted heat wave has turned forests into tinderboxes, with flames which have threatened populated areas, electricity installations and historic sites.

On Friday firefighters were battling 56 active wildfires, Civil Protection chief Nikos Hardalias said.

Multiple evacuation orders were issued for inhabited areas of the mainland and the nearby island of Evia, while the fire near Athens burned forests and houses in its path heading toward Lake Marathon, the capital's main water reservoir.

Athens' main trauma hospital said a 38-year-old man died after sustaining a head injury from a falling utility pole in Ippokrateios Politeia, one of the neighborhoods north of Athens affected by the fire.

Greece has been baked by its most protracted heat wave in three decades, with temperatures soaring to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Thousands have fled homes and holiday accommodation, while at least 20 people, including four firefighters, have been treated for injuries.

Two of the firefighters were in intensive care in Athens, while another two were hospitalized with light burns, the Health Ministry said.

More than 1,000 firefighters and nearly 20 aircraft are now battling major fires across Greece, while extra firefighters, planes, helicopters and vehicles were arriving from France, Switzerland, Romania, Cyprus, Croatia, Israel and Sweden.

IMAGE: AP