The Parthenon temple is seen atop the Acropolis hill, as smoke from a wildfire burning near Haidari blankets Athens, Friday. [Reuters]
Firefighters battled multiple wildfires across Greece on Saturday after dozens of blazes broke out nationwide, with overnight flames threatening coastal communities west of Athens and forcing evacuations and sea rescues, authorities said.
At first light, firefighting aircraft resumed water drops over the coastal resort of Porto Germeno, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of Athens, where firefighters had battled the blaze throughout the night.
Local reports said several homes were destroyed, while a fire engine was completely burned.
Residents were trapped between two active fire fronts. In addition to the blaze near Porto Germeno, another fire burning across the bay in the Mytikas area spread into the seaside settlement of Psatha. Emergency alerts sent through Greece’s 112 warning system ordered evacuations from all three areas before dawn.
