A large forest fire raged out of control for a second day in central Greece today but was no longer threatening local villages after the winds that fanned it changed direction, the fire brigade said.
Wildfires, mostly triggered by high temperatures, drought or arson, are frequent in Greece during the summer. Greece declared a state of emergency in 2007 during a 10-day blaze that killed 65 people.
"We are still fighting to bring the blaze under control," a fire brigade spokesman said. "It has changed direction and no villages are threatened any more," he said.
Yesterday, locals used hoses to fight the flames at the village of Prodromos, about 100 km west of the capital Athens.
Children and elderly residents were rushed to the village square as a safety precaution, the local mayor told Greek radio.
Two fire-fighting planes, four helicopters, 26 fire engines and about 90 firefighters were operating in the area, the fire brigade spokesman said.
Reuters