Greece battles wildfires as heatwave engulfs southeast Europe - in Pics!

Greece battled wildfires for third day but the site of ancient Olympics was saved. Wildfires rekindled outside Athens and forced more evacuations around southern Greece on Thursday (August 5) as weather conditions worsened and firefighters in a round-the-clock battle stopped the flames just outside the birthplace of the ancient Olympics. (Pic: Reuters)

As additional support arrived from Greece's military and European Union countries, water-dropping planes and helicopters swooped over blazes near the capital, on the island of Evia and near Ancient Olympia to the south. (Pic: IANS)

Greece's Civil Protection Agency said the risk of fires across southern Greece would increase further on Friday (August 6), with windy weather forecast for parts of the country, despite an expected slight dip in temperatures that reached 45 degree celsius earlier this week. The heat wave was described as Greece's worst since 1987 (Pic: Reuters)

The fires have not caused any deaths or serious injuries. But Greek scientists said the total destruction in just three days this month in Greece exceeded 50% of the average area burned in the country in previous years. (Pic: IANS)

The causes of the Greek wildfires were unclear, but authorities say human error and carelessness are most frequently to blame. (Pic: IANS)