Greece: forest fire under control

Greece: forest fire under control

The blaze, which started on Tuesday afternoon about 60 kilometers west of Corinth in the Peloponnese, initially threatened two villages but there were no reports of injuries or damaged houses.

A force of 300 firefighters with 80 fire engines, assisted by six water-dropping planes and three helicopters, brought the fire under partial control by 11:30 a.m. the national fire brigade said.

Fire brigade chief Andreas Kois said elderly people were evacuated as a precaution from the villages of Elliniko and Kallithea.

The fire brigade estimated that up to 500 hectares, or 1,200 acres, of forest have been burnt since the fire broke out in a nearby landfill and quickly spread, fanned by strong winds, the AP reports.