A large forest fire raged out of control on the northeastern outskirts of Athens today, sending thick clouds of smoke over the Greek capital, damaging homes and threatening to engulf three villages.
Greek authorities declared a state of emergency in the area, after the fire, which broke out late yesterday in the village of Grammatiko, about 40 km (25 miles) northeast of the Greek capital, spread to neighbouring villages fanned by strong winds, the fire brigade said.
"Residents with hoses, shovels, tree branches and buckets of water are trying to save their property. The elderly are taken to safe places," a Reuters witness said.
Fire officials said more help from the countryside was called in as strong winds constantly changed direction and hindered their efforts.
Twelve aircraft, nine helicopters, 61 fire engines and 210 firefighters with 38 water tanks were trying to battle the blaze and stop it from expanding to other, densely populated areas.
"It is a very difficult fire because it rages in a mixed zone of residential areas and forest land," Greek fire brigade spokesman Giannis Kapakis said.
Mr Kapakis urged people near the fire to evacuate the area.
Gale-force winds fanned more than 100 blazes across Greece in less than 24 hours yesterday.
Another fire raged on the island of Zakynthos, in western Greece, though without threatening homes, the fire brigade said. Two airplanes and four helicopters along with 18 fire engines and 46 firefighters were deployed on that front.
Wildfires are frequent in Greece during the summer, often caused by high temperatures, drought or arson. Hundreds of fires raged across southern Europe in July, destroying thousands of hectares of forest and gutting dozens of homes.
Greece saw its deadliest wildfires in memory in 2007, when blazes on the island of Evia and the southern Peloponnese peninsula raged for more than 10 days, killing 65 people.