A forest fire in central Greece has killed two men who were helping firefighters tackle the blaze, authorities said Monday.

The fire near Corinth, 140 kilometres (87 miles) west of Athens, has forced several villages to evacuate.

Anastasios Giolis, the deputy governor of Corinth, told public broadcaster ERT that two men were killed fighting the flames, calling it a “tragic accident”.

The men’s charred bodies were found near the village of Ellinikon, according to media reports.

Two firefighters were slightly injured, fire services told AFP.

The fire broke out on Sunday and spread rapidly due to strong winds, making it “difficult to control”, the fire services said.

Five localities near the fire were told to evacuate, including Pyrgos, Elliniko and Kallithea.

Fifteen vehicles, seven water bombers and three helicopters were deployed to fight the blaze on Sunday, according to the fire brigade.

Numerous regions of Greece were placed under an orange fire alert on Sunday and Monday due to winds reaching speeds of 50 to 75 kilometres an hour.

The summer wildfire season in Greece this year has seen daily blazes after 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, 40 kilometres northeast of Athens, killed one person and forced thousands to flee their homes.