ATHENS, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Firefighters are continuing to fight a large wildfire on the outskirts of Athens, using 17 airplanes and several helicopters, Greek fire services said on Monday.
The fire to the northeast of Athens has been burning since Friday evening. Firefighters have the flames under control, though there are dangers the fire may rekindle due to strong winds. The wildfires have destroyed thousands of acres of forest and dozens of homes. Thousands of residents have been evacuated but no deaths have been reported.
The fire, fanned by strong winds, has caused a large cloud of black smoke to spread over the capital. The most severely effected suburbs have been Drafi, Pallini, Pendeli, and Pikermi.
France, Italy and Cyprus have sent airplanes and helicopters to help Greece fight a large number of wildfires throughout the country.
Five helicopters are fighting another fire to the northwest of Athens, which is threatening forests on the coast of the Corinthian Gulf.
Four airplanes are currently fighting a wildfire on Greece's second largest island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea, and another blaze on the island of Zante in the Ionian Sea also continues to burn.
In 2007, fires that raged for 10 days on Greece's Peloponnese Peninsula claimed 65 lives.
