ATHENS 

A wildfire that has been burning near the town of Amfissa in central Greece is out of control, the fire brigade said late Monday.

Winds up to 6 on the Beaufort scale, or 40-50 kilometers (25-31 miles) per hour, have pushed the fire towards the monastery of Profitis Ilias, which has already been evacuated.

The fire has burned its way through vast fields of olive groves and is moving fast towards the coastal town of Itea.

An evacuation text message was sent by civil protection via the 112 European emergency alert number to residents in the northern part of Itea in the Fokida region.

North Itea residents have already been transported to the nearby city of Delphi.

Another village in the burning front, Sernikaki, was also evacuated through the 112 emergency number.

More than 150 firefighters deployed with 48 fire engines and four ground teams are battling to control the flames with the help of municipal water tanks.

Meanwhile, another fire front on southern Greece’s Peloponnese Peninsula has been battling with flames.

Hotel guests in the town of Kranidi have been evacuated and transported to other hotels, according to Skai TV.

Around 63 firefighters with 18 fire engines and three ground teams are trying to control the fire.

A total of 52 wildfires were recorded throughout Greece in the last 24 hours.