Wildfire burns homes near Athens

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Wildfire burns homes near Athens

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A wildfire on the Greek coast outside Athens swept through a populated forest area burning homes.

20 July,2012 07:53 am

A wildfire fanned by strong winds raged in the southeast coast near Athens on Thursday, razing large patches of forest and gutting homes.Dozens of fire-fighters with 25 fire engines, five Canadair aircraft and one helicopter battled the flames that broke out in the early afternoon and burned homes in the suburb of Keratea, 50 kilometres southeast of Athens. There were no reports of injuries.The fire prompted the pre-emptive evacuation of a monastery and a childrens summer camp. Fire officials said the heavy winds were making efforts difficult.Local residents joined in the fight to save their properties using lawn hoses to douse the flames.Fire brigade officials said it was not yet clear what started the fire.Keratea is a populated region on the coast full of many summer cottages and homes surrounded by forest and olive groves. It is a region often victim to summer fires.Another large fire burned several acres of forest near the city of Patras on the Peloponnese Peninsula on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of homes.No homes were damaged and no one was injured in that fire.Wildfires are frequent in Greece during the summer, often due to human carelessness during sizzling temperatures and strong winds, or due to arson.Greece suffered a week long heat-wave which abated on Tuesday.Shortly after being appointed in June, the countrys Civil Protection Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece was not ready for the forest fire season and faced a shortage of aircraft. The government has requested the assistance of water-bombing aircraft from Spain and Italy to help with summer wildfires.In 2007, at least 67 people died in chaotic wildfires that lasted for days on the Peloponnese Peninsula.