Two dead after wildfire guts house in northern Greece

– Two people died after a wildfire gutted a house in a forested settlement in northern Greece, the fire brigade said.

The fire broke out in bushland on the afternoon of June 30 and, fanned by strong winds, spread quickly and engulfed the house near the village of Liti about 25km from the northern town of Thessaloniki, the local media reported.

The fire brigade said they found a dead man nearby as they put out the fire and saw a second body inside the house. A woman with burns was rescued from the same area.

The authorities had told residents to evacuate the settlement and move to a nearby playing field.

Greece and other Mediterranean countries are considered wildfire hotspots by scientists due to a fast-warming climate, with blazes becoming more destructive during hot and dry summers. REUTERS