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Jun 16, 2009, 12:36 GMT

Firefighters battle wildfire for a second day near Athens

Athens - Greek firefighters and residents battled side by side to contain a wildfire that raged for a second day Tuesday on the outskirts of Athens, burning through miles of forest and olive groves and threatening homes. Gale-force winds were hampering efforts by aircraft, helicopters and fire trucks to put out the flames near the seaside suburb of Ano Glyfada and Voula near Mount Ymittos. The fire, which started at midday on Monday, was fanned by strong winds and high temperatures and quickly spread across the slopes of Mount Ymittos, sending thick black smoke over Athens. Residents could be seen fleeing their homes while others desperately attempted to extinguish flames along with hundreds of firefighters which were threatening the heavily-populated southern seaside areas. Residents equipped only with buckets and hoses battled flames that destroyed acres of forest, olive groves, cars and barns. Officials said the wildfire was the first to plague the area this year. Forest fires have become frequent in Greece the past few years owing to drought and rising temperatures. Many blame arsonists for fires linked with land development. In 2007, Greece called a state of emergency after weeks of continuous fires swept through dozens of villages in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Evia, killing more than 100 people.

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