Greece is battling five major wildfires across the country, with officials evacuating residents in a hard-hit region just 30km (18.6 miles) north of Athens, BBC reported.

The smell of burning wood carried as far as central Athens, as Greece requested European Union assistance to fight the spreading blaze.

The ongoing emergency comes amid a severe heatwave. Temperatures are forecast to reach up to 44C on Sunday, with the extreme heat expected to persist through most of the weekend.

"We have injured firefighters, human lives were put at risk, properties have been burned, and forest areas have been destroyed," Greece's Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis said, according to BBC.