Firefighting helicopters continue battling deadly wildfires on the outskirts of Athens

Hundreds of firefighters in Greece struggled Thursday to tame deadly wildfires burning for a sixth day amid growing outrage over what critics says has been the inadequate government response.

So far, 20 people have been killed in the blazes. The largest fire front was in northern Greece, where a mega blaze that erupted on Saturday near the port city of Alexandroupoli has now spread over 15 kilometers.

On Thursday afternoon, there was a major flareup there in Dadia forest, one of the most important areas in Europe for birds of prey. The Alexandroupoli wildfires are now the largest in the EU on record for 2023 and the second largest since 2000, according to the EU.