Perilous Times
Large wildfires threaten Athens homes
* From correspondents in Athens
* From: AP
* July 17, 2010 11:15PM
TWO large forest fires, the first of the summer season, are burning
near Athens, aided by gale force winds up to 65km per hour.
The most serious of the two is threatening houses near the coastal
resort town of Kalamos, 45km northeast of Athens.
A nearby village has been mostly evacuated, authorities say. The fire
broke out around 1pm local time (2000 AEST) today in a mountain ravine.
Another fire broke out earlier near the port of Lavrio, southeast of
Athens.
Authorities had said they had contained the fire, but winds have picked
up and the fire has expanded.
An unknown number of houses have been burned and a scouts' camp
evacuated.
Huge forest fires devastated a large area east of Athens in 2007.