Massive wildfire on Greek island of Evia devours forests

A massive wildfire burning for days on the northern tip of Greece’s second largest island continues to devour forests, its thick smoke hanging in the streets of a nearby town as hundreds of firefighters battle to save what they can

ATHENS, Greece -- A massive wildfire burning for days on the northern tip of Greece’s second largest island continued to devour forests Tuesday, its thick smoke hanging in the streets of a nearby town as hundreds of firefighters battled to save what they could. Burning since Aug. 3, the blaze has destroyed most of the north of Evia, an island of rugged, forested mountains popular with campers and summer vacationers from Greece and abroad. By Tuesday morning, the fire that has destroyed homes and businesses and led to dozens of villages being evacuated was still active, albeit on a smaller scale, burning close to some villages. Several other wildfires were burning in the country, with the most significant in the southern Peloponnese region. Greek authorities focused their resources on the Evia blaze Tuesday. The fire service said 873 firefighters, 50 ground teams and 229 vehicles were fighting the blaze, including firefighters from Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Poland. Fourteen helicopters were providing air support, including three from Serbia, two from Switzerland and two from Egypt, the fire department said.