Large forest blaze forces evacuations west of Athens

Greek firefighters battled a large forest blaze on Tuesday that forced the evacuation of a small village west of Athens, the latest in a series of wildfires that flared as strong winds swept several parts of Greece.

By evening, the fire service said the blaze appeared to be spreading at a much slower pace, raising hopes it could be soon contained. More than 130 firefighters and volunteers, assisted by 10 water-dropping aircraft, were battling the fire that broke out around noon Tuesday near the seaside town of Porto Germeno, 70 kilometers west of Athens. As a precaution, the village of Mytikas was ordered evacuated, but there were no reports of injuries. Greek news reports said one uninhabited house was damaged. The weather service said the wind was expected to slacken in the evening.