GREECE: Fire burns out of control overnight in southern Greece, two dead

A fire that has burned down several houses in villages in the southern Greek region of Aigio continues to burn as residents watch helplessly through the night and into the morning. A massive, kilometers-long wildfire in the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece that swept through eight villages, torching several homes, a school and church, burned through the night and into the morning on Thursday (July 26), as residents looked on helplessly. Fireplanes were grounded due to the darkness and firemen were unable to reach the frontlines of fires. The lashing red flames lit up the night sky above several villages that had been completely evacuated. Strong winds in the region caused the fire to spread at a rapid pace, and firefighters waited for dawn for the first fire plane to take to the air to continue the battle. The semi-official Athens News Agency said two people had died after being caught in the flames, and some nine people suffered burns and were taken to hospital. Municipal officials in the region said they had asked the government for more firefighters, and rescue workers had also joined the effort to transport villagers who had called for help to leave the area. They added some villages were without power and main highways around the region had been closed off. Fires have broken out across Greece in the last 24 hours, with one of the worst being the fire in Aigio, where a state of emergency was called on Wednesday (July 25) when blazes began to sweep into villages. Authorities believe many fires in the country were caused by arson.

ITN Source | July 26, 2007

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