Thousands flee fires in Greece, Turkey; some rescued by sea

By THANASSIS STAVRAKIS, ELENA BECATOROS and SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

DROSOPIGI, Greece (AP) — Thousands of people have fled wildfires burning out of control in Greece and Turkey, 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 and flames have threaten populated areas, power installations and historic sites. Firefighters across Greece were battling 56 active wildfires on Friday, while Turkey’s wildfires, described as the worst in decades, have swept swaths of the southern coast for the past 10 days, killing eight people.