Thousands of residents and tourists are fleeing as massive wildfires rip across the Greek countryside near Athens, torching homes and farmland. Officials report at least 800 people evacuated from villages and coastal areas as firefighters battle towering flames driven by high winds and extreme heat.

ATHENS, Greece — Firefighters raced Thursday to contain wildfires that forced thousands to flee holiday resorts on the southern Greek island of Crete, while neighboring Turkey grappled with its own deadly blazes that claimed at least one life.