Fast-moving wildfires swept across hills in the searing heat outside the Greek capital on Tuesday, forcing authorities to close highways to help protect an oil refinery.
Water-dropping airplanes and helicopters flew low though a blanket of smoke tinted orange by the sunset to try and contain two wildfires to the west of Athens before nightfall.
Italy and France were each sending two firefighting planes to help Greece cope. The planes and their teams are part of an EU civil protection mechanism, and they will join some 30 Romanian firefighters already stationed in Greece as part of a seasonal EU fire program, European officials said Tuesday.
Officials canceled vacations and leave for firefighters, while Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis cut short a visit to Brussels and returned to Athens to meet with the heads of the Fire Service and Civil Protection Agency.a blaze near the resort town of Loutraki,In the fire-threatened town of Mandra, west of Athens, police ran through narrow streets to help residents into cars as the flames approached.
Authorities said sections of two highways linking Athens to the western city of Corinth were closed to give firefighters better access to the fires and to stop the flames from approaching a major oil refinery.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wildfires have now burned 10M hectares of Canadian land - National | Globalnews.caThe stark milestone comes as the nation deals with its worst wildfire season on record, which historically runs between April and September.
Read more »
Smoke from Canadian wildfires creates unhealthy conditions from Montana to OhioU.S. EPA posted air quality alerts for several states stretching from Montana to Ohio because of smoke blowing in from Canadian wildfires
Read more »
Alberta wildfires having positive impact on mountain pine beetle populationAlberta wildfires are having some positive impacts on the province\u0027s most destructive pine insect, the mountain pine beetle.
Read more »
Record-breaking wildfires scorch 100,000 square kilometres of Canadian landPrevious record was 76,000 square kilometres in 1989; total area burned this year is roughly the size of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie and Lake Michigan combined
Read more »
Canadian military joins battle against wildfires in B.C. as another firefighter dies on the jobBased on forecasts, Natural Resources Canada expects the wildfire season will continue to be unusually intense throughout July and into August
Read more »
British Columbia wildfires prompt more than 70 evacuation orders, alertsThe British Columbia government says military support is arriving for deployment after the province asked for Ottawa’s help in fighting hundreds of wildfires.
Read more »