Wildfires have swept through thousands of acres of forest near the Greek capital, Athens [Reuters] The authorities have declared an emergency in and around Athens as the fires destroyed scores of homes [Reuters] The fires have forced at least 10,000 people to flee their homes [Reuters] Water-bombing aircraft are supporting firefighters on the ground to battle the blaze [AFP] Residents and volunteers also joined the fight, sometimes armed with only extinguishers...[Reuters] ...other times using tree branches to beat embers in an effort to stop the flames from reaching their homes [EPA] A European Space Agency (ESA) satellite image taken on August 23 showing smoke trails from the fires in Athens [AFP]