Firefighters battle to contain wildfire near Athens (Roundup)

Aug 20, 2009, 17:16 GMT

Athens - Firefighters battled to contain several wildfires raging out of control near Athens on Thursday, sending panicked residents fleeing from their homes and burning factories.

More than 100 firefighters assisted by five firefighting planes and four helicopters battled to put out the fire just west of Athens, near the industrial area of Magoula and Elefsina while strong winds fanned the blaze.

The fire had quickly spread from a forested mountain in the area of Magoula to an industrial site, burning factories and warehouses.

Reports said firefighter planes were prevented from flying for several hours due to strong gale force winds. Residents, armed with buckets and hoses, could be seen battling to put out the flames.

Traffic was jammed for hours as officials shut off the main road leading to Magoula as a safety precaution.

In the last 24 hours more than 60 forest fires were reported to have broken out across the country.

Another blaze, fanned by high temperatures and strong winds, was reported to be burning out of control in central Greece near the town of Astakos, damaging at least a dozen homes. Some 50 firefighters, 11 fire engines and three aircraft were trying to extinguish the flames.

Two more blazes were reported near Marathona and the Athens residential area of Markopoulos.

Firefighters were also battling wildfires on the holiday island of Kafallonia, the Aegean island of Limnos and in the northern town of Kavala.

Forest fires have become more frequent in Greece in recent summers, triggered by high temperatures and drought, but also arson.

Greece declared a state of emergency in 2007 during 10 days of blazes that killed more than 80 people on the island of Evia and the western Peloponnese.