The massive wildfires in Greece that escalated last week are showing little sign of coming under control.

According to broadcasters like the BBC, flames fueled by gale-force winds reaching up to 130 km/h reached the village of Venize, close to Athens, on August 1 local time, destroying around 200 homes.

The next day, the flames rapidly spread to the western region of Attica, including Athens, threatening residential and industrial areas on the outskirts of Megara, about 30 kilometers from Athens.

Nikos Labranos, head of the Greek firefighters' union, described the situation to state broadcaster ERT as "a giant front of fire and a black curtain."

As the wildfires expanded, evacuation orders were issued for dozens of villages.

On August 2, two helicopters deployed for firefighting operations collided in mid-air in a gorge west of Athens, resulting in the deaths of two firefighters, while two others were rescued.

On July 29 as well, three firefighters died while battling blazes on the island of Crete and in the southern Peloponnese region.

Over the past 72 hours, some 500 firefighters have been deployed across Greece, fighting a desperate battle.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote on X on August 2, "There are moments when the power of nature and the intensity of weather conditions overwhelm all human planning and total available capabilities," adding, "It is an extremely difficult period for our country."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)