Two wildfires brought under control by firefighters
Firefighters on Friday battled blazes near Koroni, in the Peloponnese, and Kryoneri, a rural area in northern Attica, but dry conditions and high temperatures hampered their progress. Nevertheless firemen managed to keep the flames away from residential areas.
The first fire was reported on farmland near Koroni shortly after 1 p.m., prompting the fire service to dispatch 12 engines and 28 firefighters to the scene while a Canadair water-dropping aircraft aided efforts. According to the local mayor, Dimitris Kafantaris, the fire appeared on three fronts simultaneously, which suggests that it was likely the work of arsonists.
Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control within four hours. The second fire appeared in the area of Kryoneri shortly after 2 p.m., prompting authorities to send nine fire engines and 27 firefighters to the scene while two helicopters helped the efforts. The extent of the damage in Kryoneri was unclear while an estimated 3 hectares of land was razed by the Koroni blaze.
