Forest Fire Rages Out of Control Near Athens
ATHENS — A huge forest fire raged out of control north of Athens on Sunday, burning thousands of acres of pine forests, and the government declared an emergency.
“It’s the worst fire I’ve seen in the Attica region,” said Dimitris Kalatzis, head of the Greater Athens fire department. “It’s impossible to control because of strong, shifting winds which keep creating new fronts.”
The fire, covering a 12-mile front, started Saturday in Avlon, 26 miles north of Athens. It burned down at least a dozen houses and forced the closing of the main Athens highway to the north.
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