ATHENS : Two fires on the Greek island of Salamis near Athens that claimed two lives and led to the evacuation of nearly 600 people have been largely extinguished, the fire service said Monday.

"The situation is better, there is no active front," a fire department spokesman told AFP, adding that two helicopters and over 200 firefighters remained in the area.

The fires broke out Sunday near packed beaches in the south and east of the island just west of Athens that is popular with day travellers. The evacuations were carried out by boat.

Though the civil protection agency quickly issued evacuation orders, the fire department said the fires spread in just seven minutes owing to strong winds, trapping an elderly couple near their home.

Three people remained hospitalised with burns on Monday.

After largely escaping the heatwave temperatures that blanketed much of Europe, Greece has been hit with several major wildfires since late July, fuelled by strong winds.

Thirty-six blazes have broken out over the past 24 hours around the country, according to the fire department.

Five firefighters have died so far, including a Danish pilot killed in a mid-air collision between two helicopters while battling a blaze near Athens earlier this month.