The Greek government declared a state of emergency today as a large forest fire burned out of control on the north-eastern outskirts of Athens, sending thick black smoke over the city and damaging dozens of homes, DPA reported. The fire broke out early Saturday and quickly spread, fanned by strong, gale-force winds in the area of Grammatiko, about 40 kilometers north-east of the Greek capital. Within hours, the fire had spread to within 12 kilometers, from the residential area of Grammatiko to Varnava and Marathas, damaging homes, burning thousands of acres of forest and forcing the evacuation of its residents and nearby children's camps. "The main fire is moving south because of strong winds and heading towards Pendelis," the head of the fire brigade, Giannis Kapakis, told journalists, referring to the heavily populated residential area located east of Athens. Fearing casualties and increased damage resembling the fire disaster that struck the country in 2007, the government declared a state of emergency as thick black smoke engulfed the Greek capital. Hundreds of residents, armed with shovels and buckets, worked side by side with firefighters. Some 70 fire engines, twelve planes nine helicopters and 50 water tanks were also in action to try to extinguish the blaze and to prevent it from spreading to other residential areas nearby. Additional reinforcements from neighboring municipalities also dispatched manpower and firetrucks to the area. Reports said one firefighter was reported injured while battling the fire in the town of Marathona. Firefighters said the constantly changing winds would make battling the fire more difficult while in the town of Marathona, efforts to extinguish the blaze were hampered after fire officials discovered that the main water pipes linking to fire pumps had been severed.
