ATHENS: Greece's worst wildfire this year spread to the suburbs of Athens on Monday, forcing hundreds of people to flee as it burned trees, homes and cars overnight and clogged busy roads with smoke and ash.
The government has appealed to other EU members for help in tackling the blaze which has been raging out of control for a second day, fanned by hurricane-force winds and spreading from forested hills north of the city.
Firefighters said the flames threatening apartment buildings, schools and parks have reached the deepest part of the capital in more than two decades.
Nearly 700 firefighters supported by volunteers, 190 fire trucks and 33 water-dropping planes have been battling the blaze that broke out at 3pm on Sunday near the town of Varnavas, 35 kilometres north of Athens.
Greece has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism and is expecting help from France, Italy and the Czech Republic, which will provide aircraft and firefighters. It has also received help from Spain, Cyprus and Turkey, a government official said.
Columns of smoke rose on the horizon and the smell of burning permeated Athens. The fire had reached Vrilissia, some 14 kilometres from the centre of the capital, although there were motorways separating the suburb from the city centre.
To the north, at the epicentre of the fire, firefighters surveyed the damage and found abandoned houses and vehicles destroyed by the fire, blackened hillsides and trees reduced to sticks.
