A new wildfire in Greece prompted evacuations in coastal areas south of Athens on Friday, as firefighters in neighbouring Turkey remained locked in a battle to contain flames tearing through forested hillsides in the west of the country.

A new wildfire has erupted in Greece prompting evacuations, while firefighters in Turkey pressed ahead with efforts to contain a deadly blaze west of the country.

Gale force wind gusts complicated efforts on Friday to contain wildfires on Crete that have razed forests and olive groves and forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate.