Wildfire Near Athens
The BBC reports on the latest of a number of wildfires around the Mediterranean Sea: Fires rage unchecked near Athens
Major wildfires north-east of the Greek capital Athens are burning out of control, officials have said.
The government has declared a state of emergency in the area as fire crews, backed up by helicopters and water-bombers, fight to contain the blazes.
Fed by strong winds, fires have reached the towns of Grammatiko and Varnavas, but no casualties have been reported.
The fires are the worst on the Greek mainland since those in 2007, when 70 people were killed.
The fires broke out late Friday and developed overnight, fed by gale-force winds that kept shifting direction, fire officials said.
…The fires are further contributing to the deforestation of the mountains around Athens. Three of the four mountains surrounding the capital have already been stripped of their trees by fire, says our correspondent.
If the rain comes, there will be nothing to hold the water, and the cycle will continue.
