thenationalherald | August 15, 2017
A firefighting plane drops its load during a forest fire near the village of Metohi north of Athens, on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)
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ATHENS (AP) — About 350 Greek firefighters and soldiers, assisted by water-dropping planes and dozens of fire trucks are struggling to contain a large wildfire raging for three days through pine forests north of Athens.
Nobody has been injured by the blaze between Varnavas and Kalamos, 45 kilometers (28 miles) from Athens, but at least 20 homes have been damaged.
Officials said inhabited areas weren’t in direct danger Tuesday. Nine water-dropping planes and helicopters were leading efforts to stop the fire, which ate deep into some of the few remaining pristine forests near Athens.
A smoky haze from the blaze that started Sunday hung over much of Athens, while ash drifted throughout the capital.
Firefighters were also battling big blazes in the southern Peloponnese area and the western island of Zakynthos.
The blaze in Varnavas and Grammatiko, eastern Attica, continues to rage on Tuesday.
The firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night in order to keep it away from the village of Kapandriti.
The firefighting aircrafts, four helicopters, started dropping water early in the morning however, according to the National Meteo Agency the winds will become stronger in the day reaching up to 7 on the Beaufort scale something that will make the firefighting work very difficult.
MONDAY
A large wildfire north of Athens is threatening homes as it sweeps through pine forest for a second day, uncontained due to high winds.
Fire Service officials two planes and five helicopters are fighting the blaze at Varnava, 45 kilometers (28 miles) north of the Greek capital, while a main road in the area is closed to traffic to give fire trucks better access.
The fire burned out of control for a second day Monday after damaging at least 20 homes the previous day and forcing the evacuation of holiday campsites used in the area for children’s vacations.
No one was hurt, and Fire Service spokeswoman Brigade Manager Stavroula Maliri described all the evacuations as precautionary.
Zakynthos
Authorities in Greece have declared a state of emergency on the island of Zakynthos where wildfires are burning for a fourth day.
The Fire Service says that the blazes are burning on 12 fronts and not threatening homes or resorts on the island, which is popular with tourists.
A statement from the office of Zakynthos Mayor Pavlos Kolokotsas said there were “clear indications that fires were caused by an organized campaign of arson.”
Arson-related fires near populated areas in Greece are often associated with illegal development, especially near Athens and around holiday resorts.
