Greek firefighters on Monday brought under control the big fire that broke out in the Athens suburb of Peania in the early hours.
At least two homes were badly damaged from the blaze, but there are no reports of injuries.
More than a hundred fighters have been deployed, aided by five firefighting aircrafts and five helicopters. They remain on alert at Mount Hymettus overlooking Athens where during the night the flames shooting up the mountain could be seen from the center of the Greek capital.
“We faced a big front with flames that shot up to 20 metres (65 ft) and reached the mountaintop. It is in recession now but we still have a lot of work to do,” Civil Protection General Secretary Nikos Hardalias told Skai TV.
Authorities have warned of the high risk of wildfires across large parts of Greece due to soaring temperatures and strong winds.
In the last 24 hours Greece’s fire brigade had been called to put out 60 wildfires across the country, including a blaze in Elafonissos, an island south of the Peloponnese, which forced the evacuation of campers.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
