Athens,
A fire that broke out on Saturday at a forested area in a southeastern suburb of Athens, at the foot of Mount Imitos, was partly under control, officials said.
More than 60 firefighters backed by 22 fire engines, five water-bombing helicopters and an airplane tackled the blaze near the residential Vyronas suburb with high winds hampering their efforts. The adjacent houses were not in danger as the wind was blowing the fire towards the forest, the fire brigade said, according to Athens news Agency.
“The fire in a forest area in Vyronas is now partly under control.
..There has been no danger for human life or for the residential area”, Stefanos Kolokouris, the chief of the Greek Fire Brigade told Athens News Agency later in the afternoon. two-and-a-half hours after the fire broke out. Wildfires are a yearly challenge for Greece during the dry summer season, with strong winds and temperatures frequently exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).—AFP
