Firefighters are fighting fires on the Greek islands of Chios and Kos

Firefighters battled fires that broke out on the islands of Chios and Kos in the eastern Aegean Sea on Monday, after Greece’s prime minister warned of a dangerous summer and said people’s help was essential to limit the effects of the fires.

Emergency services issued evacuation orders for residents of the Metohi area in western Chios, urging them to go to a nearby beach.

Further south in the Aegean, on the island of Kos, the fire service said 20 firefighters, a helicopter and volunteers were battling a bushfire that had broken out in the central part of the island.

The fires came a day after firefighters managed to extinguish two large forest fires near Athens that were sparked by strong winds.

“We had an exceptionally difficult June in terms of weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this time of year,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a cabinet meeting on Monday.

He added that this summer “will be particularly dangerous” in terms of forest fires.

Mr Mitsotakis said the use of drones as part of a forest fire early warning system had proven particularly useful this year, and said improved coordination between authorities and volunteer firefighters had so far helped to limit the extent of fire damage.

“We are entering the difficult crux of the fire season and this will certainly not be achieved without the help of society, especially in the field of prevention,” Mitsotakis said.

Hot, dry weather combined with strong winds contributed to an increase in wildfires in Greece and Turkey last month.

This summer is expected to be particularly prone to wildfires after an exceptionally mild and dry winter.

Last year, more than 20 people died in widespread forest fires in Greece.