Thousands of hectares of forest lay scorched, and homes were smoking ruins in the northern outskirts of the Greek capital Tuesday as firefighters contained blazes that had raged out of control for days, reported the dpa. The wildfires that started early Saturday swept through homes and destroyed more than 21,000 hectares of forests and olive groves. As winds died down significantly Tuesday, only two fires still burned: one near the coastal town of Porto Germano north-west of Athens, and another near the village of Karisto on Evia island, east of the capital. More than 500 firefighters assisted by 300 soldiers continued to guard the area north-east of Athens against any new flare-ups. Experts said it would take generations to replace the lost forests, especially those found on Mount Penteli, which have been burned beyond hope of natural regrowth.
