Greek firefighters battle blaze near Athens for second day

By DEMETRIS NELLAS and THEODORA TONGAS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek firefighters are battling a wildfire for a second day near two Athens suburbs. Local media reported some damage to houses as well as vehicles with 65 fire engines and 283 firefighters still operating in the area. Authorities said that the blaze has abated but it’s still ongoing Sunday. Officials say no official damage estimate was available and would be done once the fire is over. Greek authorities on Saturday ordered the evacuation of parts of the southern Athens suburbs of Voula and Glyfada as a precaution when strong winds fanned the blaze and threatened residential areas. Thick black smoke from the fire could be seen as far as Piraeus about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away.