Fires rage in scorching heat
Temperatures are expected to hover around the 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) mark today as Greece remains in the grip of a heat wave while forest fires broke out over the weekend north of Athens and in the Peloponnese. Temperatures in parts of the country hit 42C (107.6F) yesterday while in Athens council and prefectural authorities opened air-conditioned facilities to the public to help residents cool off. In Marathon, north of the capital, firefighters brought a forest blaze under control in the early hours of yesterday morning. Forty-five firefighters using 15 trucks were involved in the operation to put out the blaze. Meanwhile, another forest fire was burning in Arcadia, in the Peloponnese, late yesterday. Firefighters said that strong winds in the area had fanned the blaze, which did not threaten any homes.
