The fire had consumed up to 5,000 hectares (12,350 acres) of forest and agricultural land, civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias.

Over 400 firefighters backed by 21 aircraft battled the fire, with water bombers from Italy and Croatia expected during the day, Kikilias told a news conference.

The fire, that broke out Sunday in a ravine near the northern coast of the Peloponnese, forced the evacuation of a dozen villages.

Two men who were helping to guide firefighters became trapped and died in the flames. Three firefighters were also hurt.

Scientists have warned for years that human-induced climate change is driving longer, more intense and more frequent heatwaves, droughts and other extreme weather events.

Greece has seen a sharp rise in wildfires this summer.

Officials "did not expect" having to deal with wildfires at this point in the autumn season, Kikilias said.

The Mediterranean country recorded its warmest winter and the hottest June and July since reliable data collection began in 1960.

In August, a massive blaze near Marathon, north of Athens, killed one person and forced thousands to flee their homes.

It took hundreds of firefighters three days to control the fire, which reached the suburbs of the Greek capital.