Crews race to contain fire near Athens after thousands flee

Firefighters in Greece are racing to fully contain a blaze on the outskirts of Athens that destroyed or seriously damaged dozens of homes overnight and forced thousands of residents to flee

VARIBOBI, Greece -- Firefighters in Greece raced Wednesday to fully contain a wildfire on the outskirts of Athens that destroyed or seriously damaged dozens of homes overnight, forced thousands to flee, and threatened a former royal palace, as high temperatures fueled wildfires across the country. Greece is enduring its worst heat wave in decades, with temperatures in parts of the country expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 F). The Fire Service took advantage of cooler morning hours to send low-flying helicopters and planes to dump water on charred forest land around Tatoi, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) north of the capital, where more than 500 firefighters had battled through the night to contain the blaze. “The ground crews did vital work, (fighting) nightmarish fires in suburban forests,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, visiting a mobile control center in the area. “We had no loss of human life...Homes will be rebuilt, and over time the forest will grow back.” Firefighters pumped water from a swimming pool to douse the flames, and water-dropping buckets were attached to helicopters provided by the military.