ATHENS (Reuters) -- Greek firefighters battled for a third day on Friday a wind-driven blaze that burned through pine forests about 60 km (37 miles) west of the capital Athens and forced hundreds of people to evacuate from their homes.
Firefighters battled overnight to contain the fire that burned homes as black smoke filled the sky above costal villages where police was calling on citizens to leave. More than 10 villages and two monasteries have already been evacuated. The blaze broke out in a forest at a small seaside holiday resort on the Gulf of Corinth on Wednesday and moved eastward into the western Attica province on Thursday, fanned by strong winds.