ATHENS: The Greek government declared a state of emergency and troops called in on Saturday as a large forest fire burned out of control on the northeastern outskirts of Athens, sending thick black smoke over the city and damaging dozens of homes.
Fire fighters say the blaze that broke out in the early hours of Saturday near Marathon, 25 miles northeast of Athens is being fanned by gale-force winds. Nine small planes, five helicopters and 35 ground vehicles are trying to contain the fire, which is burning forest, brush and farmland.
Locals said it was heading towards the town of Marathon after flames reached houses in the villages of Grammatiko and Varnavas. Residents with hoses, shovels and buckets of water are said to be trying to save their properties. So far no casualties have been reported. It is a very difficult fire because it rages in a mixed zone of residential areas and forest land," Greek fire brigade spokesman Giannis Kapakis told reporters. He urged people to promptly evacuate the areas on fire to avoid risking their lives and to help the fire brigade's efforts.
Meanwhile, another major fire has developed on the island of Zakynthos, in western Greece, though it is not threatening homes, the fire fighters said. Wildfires are frequent in Greece during the summer, often caused by high temperatures, drought or arson.
Reports said at least a dozen homes were damaged in the fire as panicked people rushed around to save their property despite warnings from fire officials to evacuate the area.In an effort to avoid an explosion, emergency forces removed munitions from an army base located in Varnava.
Just two years ago Greece saw its deadliest wildfires in living memory. Blazes on the island of Evia and the southern Peloponnese peninsula raged for more than 10 days, killing 65 people. LINK