Greece Seeks Help to Battle Forest Fires
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ATHENS — Greece on Friday called for international help to fight nearly a dozen major forest fires raging unchecked for a second day, as strong winds hampered efforts to extinguish blazes across the country.
Firefighters, forest rangers and the army joined forces with local volunteers in a desperate effort to put out more than 100 forest and brush fires that flared up Thursday, destroying thousands of acres of forests, farmland and numerous houses.
Amid some of the most devastating fires to hit Greece in recent years, the government said it would hire an extra 1,500 forest rangers to battle the blazes, on top of 4,000 seasonal firefighters already called in to assist 9,500 full-timers.
A total of 52 firefighting planes and helicopters are being used to battle the blazes on the mainland and on islands.
The prefectures of Corinthia and Achaia were among the worst hit.
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