Dozens of Greek firefighters and water cannons managed to extinguish a massive wildfire on the outskirts of Athens late Wednesday, but authorities were forced to evacuate two nearby villages.
Firefighters and volunteers work to put out a wildfire burning near the village of Resta on the Greek island of Chios. Travel warning for Greece and Turkey: Evacuation orders issued as summer wildfires hit Athens suburbs, Turkish villages (Photo by REUTERS/Konstantinos Anagnostou) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Summer wildfires also broke out in Greece's Mediterranean neighbour Turkey, leading to the evacuation of two villages there but no reports of injuries.
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Greece's fire service said the blaze near Athens, one of dozens that broke out across the country on Wednesday, had been largely contained but firefighters would remain vigilant throughout the night to prevent it from flare-ups again.
Officials said the wildfires were exacerbated by strong winds, hot and dry weather and appeared to have been started deliberately.
The disaster occurred among scrub forests and olive groves in a sparsely populated area near Bari, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of central Athens.
Fire department spokesman Vassilis Vatrakogiannis said winds reached gale-force gusts at times and police were called in to evacuate some residents.
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Local officials also said the fire appeared to be under control late Wednesday.
“The situation is being brought under control,” local mayor Dimitris Kiousis told state television ERT. “We hope that everything will be over within the next two hours.”
No injuries were reported. ERT footage showed burnt-out homes and a destroyed plastic boat at a yacht and speedboat parking lot. Fire officials said it was too early to confirm reports of damage to shops or homes.
More than 140 firefighters were battling the blaze with the help of 16 water cannon planes and helicopters.
There are hundreds of buildings scattered around the area, including homes and businesses.
Minister for Climate Change and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias said arson was strongly suspected.
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“Investigators have video evidence that clearly shows an arsonist started the fire in dry undergrowth,” he said. “A gasoline can was also found nearby.”
Dozens of wildfires have broken out in Greece in recent days amid scorching summer heat but were put out before causing any major damage. Several people have been arrested and charged with accidentally starting the blazes.
Fire department spokesman Vatrakogiannis said Wednesday was an “extremely challenging day” because of the weather.
“We've seen new fires breaking out roughly every 10 minutes over the past few hours,” he said. “The majority have been dealt with quickly.”
The Athens metropolitan area was also declared under high fire risk on Thursday.
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Wildfires are common in Greece during its dry, hot summers and have been deadly in recent years, but authorities have warned that the risk is particularly high this summer after a dry, warm winter killed much of the vegetation.
Firefighters and aircraft are battling another large blaze in the southern Peloponnese that has forced the evacuation of villages, as well as fires in central Greece and on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos.
Earlier, firefighters extinguished blazes east of Athens and on the Aegean islands of Evia and Naxos, where a man was arrested on suspicion of accidentally starting a blaze.
Turkish authorities said on Wednesday they had extinguished two wildfires in the historic Gallipoli Peninsula and Eceabat in the northwestern province of Canakkale. Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers, supported by 15 water cannons, worked to put out the blazes that broke out on Tuesday. The Eceabat fire was reportedly started by agricultural waste that was accidentally spread in the forest and started burning.
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Officials said two villages in Gallipoli had been evacuated as a precaution. The area was the scene of heavy fighting during World War I, and many of Gallipoli's historic sites have been temporarily cordoned off because of the fires.
Four more fires were reported in western Turkey on Wednesday.
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News / Lifestyle / Travel / Greece and Turkey travel alert: Evacuations ordered as summer wildfires hit Turkish villages outside Athens
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