A man has died in a wildfire burning in the Ímeros Pefkos area of Spata, a town near Athens, after the blaze is believed to have started from his own vehicle. His body was removed from the scene by fire service crews.

The fire, which is burning through low vegetation, triggered an alert from the Fire Service, while Greece’s 112 emergency system sent a message urging residents in the area to be on standby.

Fiirefighting crews, backed by two ground teams and 30 vehicles, were dispatched to tackle the blaze, with five aircraft, two planes and three helicopters, carrying out water drops from above. French and Romanian firefighting units are also taking part in efforts to bring the fire under control.

There have been no reports so far of homes under threat, although scattered houses are located in the area.