Death Toll in Greek Forest Fires Now Nearly 80 |

Greece's fire department says the death toll from wildfires that decimated seaside communities near Athens has increased to 79.

Spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said Wednesday that rescue crews continue to search the areas northeast of Athens that were the worst affected by the fire. Crews have been going house-to-house and searching burned cars and the scorched coastline to locate any further victims.

Malliri said authorities have received dozens of calls for missing people, adding that some of those reported as missing could be among the dead, or might have already returned to their families without authorities having been informed.

There was no official number released as to how many people might be missing. Some people have taken to social media and Greek television stations with appeals for information on their loved ones.

Two main fires broke out Monday, one to the west of Athens near the town of Kineta and one to the northeast near the port of Rafina. Both were fanned by gale-force winds Monday that hampered firefighting efforts and sent hundreds of people fleeing to beaches, from where they were evacuated on boats late at night.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has declared three days of national mourning.

"Today Greece is mourning, and in memory of those who were lost, we are declaring a three-day period of mourning," Tsipras said. "But we mustn't let mourning overwhelm us, because these hours are hours of battle, unity, courage and above all solidarity."

Meanwhile, Turkey has offered to send firefighting aircraft to neighboring Greece after twin wildfires tore through areas near Athens.

Speaking in Northern Cyprus Tuesday, Turkey's foreign minister said Turkish airplanes and helicopters are on standby to aid Greece. Mevlut Cavusoglu said his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias thanked him for the offer but said assistance was not currently needed.

Bekir Pakdemirli, Turkey's agriculture and forestry minister, in Ankara said the planes are "45 minutes away if there is a request and we are ready to intervene immediately."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also expressed his condolences and said his country was ready to help.

The Spanish government says it has sent two amphibious planes to help fight the twin forest fires in seaside areas of Greece that have killed nearly 50 people and injured more than 100.

Spain's Ministry of Agriculture says that each of the two Canadair-type planes dispatched early Tuesday can hoard 5.5 tons of water and they are piloted by members of the country's air force.

The ministry says in a statement that the decision to dispatch the planes was made only after an assessment of Spain's own need for them.

The country is also prone to destructive wildfires every year, when dry and hot summers can be met with strong winds that quickly spread the flames.