Terrified homeowners jump into the sea to escape approaching Greek wildfires by boat

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Greek Red Cross volunteers rescued families trapped in the sea after they waded into deep water to escape wildfires this week.

The blaze broke out at noon in Vrachnaiika, western Greece, on Tuesday and raged on until late on Wednesday.

Footage shows the rescuers approaching the shore in a lifeboat in the dark while flames rage in the background.

They are seen hauling terrified families and their pets into the boat amid thick smoke and glowing embers falling around them.

The fires were so fierce that the sky was almost completely blackened by ash, with no visible moonlight or starlight. Fire crews around the country have been battling a wave of severe wildfires trigge