Athens fire contained
2009-06-15 21:03
Athens - Firefighters contained a blaze that threatened homes in two hillside suburbs of Athens on Monday and sent a thick cloud of smoke over parts of the capital.
Eight aircraft and two helicopters assisted firefighters who brought the fire under control after a lull in strong winds. They had pushed the flames towards homes on the slopes of Mount Imittos in the southern Ano Glyfada and Panorama areas of greater Athens.
The Fire Service said the cause of the fire was not immediately known but said authorities were investigating reports of arson.
Earlier, residents had used buckets of water and garden hoses to protect their property after the flames burned a farmhouse and reached the backyards of several houses.
Hundreds of forest fires break out in Greece every summer. More than 70 people died in a string of blazes that ravaged southern and central Greece in 2007.
- SAPA